


Skeleton

by teaseofnight



Category: Super Junior
Genre: M/M, possible trigger warnings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-08
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-04-25 11:32:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4958986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaseofnight/pseuds/teaseofnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their fates became mixed together the moment blood has been spilled. Now, in order to find out the truth, they have to work together to fix what happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_“Hello? Who is this?”_

_“…Kyuhyun…”_

_“Seohyun? What’s going on?”_

_“Oppa, I’m getting married!”_

_“What?”_

_“I am! And he’s such a nice guy. I just—”_

_“Seohyun? Seohyun!”_

A click of a lighter echoed in the room before the flicker of an ember came to life.

            It hardly illuminated anything in the room, but he didn’t need light in order to see. Eyes flickering downwards to his feet, he saw trails of blood almost reaching the toes of his boots. The urge to move away was brief as he pushed it down, his eyes moving upwards when he finally heard the sound of metal clanking against the concrete floor. When he heard muffled cries, his own eyes slid shut, his heart aching from the distraught cry.

            With a flick of his thumb, the ember died, the lighter clicking shut, the room becoming enveloped in darkness once more.

            Blinking once to allow his vision to adjust to the darkness, he took a few steps forward. Each step he took brought him closer to the cry, making him wince the louder it grew. It sounded much like a wounded animal, the sound piercing his heart as he grew closer. However, he forced himself to remain calm, knowing that if he showed the slightest bit of weakness, it would only put both of them in danger.

            He stopped in front of a hunched figure, the familiar stranger cradling the corpse in his arms. Directing his gaze to the side, he could see the knife lying on the ground, blood staining its silver blade as it gleamed from the lights of the lampposts outside. Thunder echoed in the distance, rolling in as a storm quickly approached. His mind worked rapidly, an infinite number of ways to conceal the incident before he resumed paying attention to the person in front of him.

            Crouching down, he tentatively touched the other’s shoulder, keeping his hand still when the other man jerked. As the older man lifted his gaze, a gentle smile appeared on his face.

            “I…I…”

            “It’s okay,” he whispered, his hand moving to gently cup his brother’s cheek. “We’ll do what we’ve always done. Don’t let this get to you.”

            “But she…” His older brother’s shoulders began to shake, and he immediately realized it was due to the anger he felt – not the sadness.

            Gaze softening, he reached out with his other hand, cupping his brother’s face in his hands. When the older’s eyes met his, he kept the kind smile on his face, knowing it was what the other really needed at the moment. The gesture had the older man relax slightly, making his smile widening slightly.

            “Come now,” he quietly urged. “We must get going before someone realizes something is amiss.”

            His brother shook his head. “She…she betrayed me! The bitch betrayed me!”

            Slowly breathing out, he reached forward to tug his brother against him, feeling the older man rest his forehead against his shoulder. His nose wrinkled when the stench of rotting corpse grew stronger due to the action, but he simply continued to hold his brother close. Though death wasn’t something he liked, it was all his brother knew, and he couldn’t afford to lose his brother.

            He needed to ground the older to their reality.

            “We’ll get rid of her body then,” he whispered into his brother’s ear. “We’ll burn it until nothing remains – not even her ashes. How does that sound?”

            Though the older didn’t say anything in return, the younger knew that he had agreed.

            Whispering a few more words to his brother, the younger gently and slowly pulled away, making sure not to make any sudden movements to startle him. Once he was sure that his brother was focusing on him and not on the corpse he was cradling against his body, his hands reached down to grip his shoulders.

            “Come on, let’s go,” he urged again. “We have to get going.”

            Dark and almost crazed eyes gazed into his before the older man finally nodded.

            Without another word, he tugged his brother up into a standing position before nodding at him to toss the body onto the ground. The sickening thud of it landing on the ground made him tighten his grip around his brother before he maneuvered the older behind him. Fingers clutched at the fabric of his shirt, tightening just the slightest, but he didn’t pay much attention to it as his eyes focused on the corpse.

            Fingering the lighter he had in his pocket, he took the little contraption out, clicking it as ember lit up from its tiny spout. Moving to the side, he saw everything he needed to make his plan work, for once grateful that his brother had chosen a convenient place for this to happen. He moved forward slightly, only to be held back by his brother. Tilting his head back, he gave the older man a reassuring smile, one that was returned with a doubtful look before he finally nodded. Feeling the hold on his shirt released, he made sure to keep his brother in his senses, but moved forward once more in order to gather the necessary ingredients.

            Piling it all upon on the corpse, he flung the lighter onto the debris, watching as it quickly lit up, engulfing everything into flames.

            His nose wrinkled upon the smell of burnt flesh, but he no longer paid heed to it as he paid attention back to his brother.

            “Come,” he whispered to the older man. “Let us go.”

            His brother could only nod, clinging onto his hand before leading him away.

\---

            “Welcome home, Kyuhyun.”

            Eyes sliding shut, he wrapped his arms around the familiar warmth that had surrounded him.

            “I’m happy to be home, umma,” Kyuhyun breathed out, eyes opening when his mother pulled away from him. He nearly smiled, though the occasion didn’t call for it at the moment. “Have you already arranged everything?”

            His mother nodded as she led him inside of their house. “Yes, the funeral will be tomorrow, so I’m really glad you’ve made it home on time. She would’ve wanted you to be there.”

            Kyuhyun breathed out. “It’s unfortunate that this had to have happened a week before her wedding. How did her fiancé handle out?”

            The question had his mother pause, a saddened expression masking her beautiful visage. “He’s…handling,” she answered quietly, though it was evident to Kyuhyun that his mother’s tone sounded pained – almost broken even. “He and his brother are actually here right now, helping us with the preparations. Perhaps you all can become acquainted with one another.”

            Though he himself doubted it, he could only nod. He understood his mother’s need to become familiar with those who were about to join their family. Though Kyuhyun never attempted to connect with the fiancé before, he figured he might as well start now. It was the least he could do for—

            He quickly shook his head to dispel the thoughts, not wanting to be reminded of what had happened. It was horrifying enough when the news reached him all the way in London, having taken the first flight home despite the fact he still had papers due and assignments to submit to his boss the next day. Right now, all Kyuhyun could focus on was getting home and help with the funeral planning, needing to see for himself about what happened to his twin sister.

            As soon as he stepped foot into the familiar living room, a pang of nostalgia hit him.

            _“Oppa, look! Let’s do this!” his sister said, sounding excited as she tugged him over to the window. “It’s snowing!”_

_Ten-year-old Kyuhyun reluctantly peered up from his handheld game console, knowing he would be hit if he didn’t look. His eyes widened upon seeing the first drops of snowing falling onto the ground, frost beginning to cover the glass._

_“It’s so pretty,” the younger twin squealed, releasing his hand in order to run over to the window, planting her hands against the glass. “We should convince Umma and Appa to let us go outside to play.”_

_Kyuhyun still appeared to be reluctant, but soon nodded, allowing himself to be dragged by his sister to their parents._

Breathing out, Kyuhyun shook himself out of his memories, taking a better look around the living room. It appeared just as he remembered, aside form the emptiness he could obviously detect. His sister, his younger twin sister, would always be tucked away in the living room, her nose tucked away in a book or singing along with the songs from their favorite children show. She brought so much life into their family, their own personal light.

            He remembered the jealousy he constantly felt, all too aware of the attention his sister always managed to gather. Yet, despite his envy, Kyuhyun still adored her – cared for her.

            His eyes roamed around the room, trying to figure out if there was anything else out of place. Kyuhyun had no doubt that his mother would keep his sister’s belongings around for a moment longer, if only to keep her memory alive for a moment longer. In the kitchen, he heard his mother’s voice speaking to the guests. It made his eyebrows furrow, unfamiliar with the voices before he finally figured she was speaking to his sister’s former fiancé.

            Kyuhyun jolted a bit when he heard a soft knock, spinning around in surprise. He felt himself freeze in place, his breath being caught when he saw the man standing in front of him. For a brief moment, he wondered if the man in front of him was his sister’s fiancé, but then shoved the thought out of his mind.

            How did she always get the good-looking ones?

            “Oh, um, hello,” Kyuhyun stammered out, making the man in front of him smile amusedly.

            The older chuckled. “No need to be nervous. Your mother had asked me to come and get you.”

            “Right. Are you…Were you Seohyun’s fiancé?”

            There was a flicker of surprise in the man’s eyes before he let out a chuckle, the sound of it causing Kyuhyun’s breath to become caught, his heart racing slightly. There was simply something about the man that seemed to have temporarily stolen his ability to think coherently – a fact that bothered him greatly. But all thoughts of how this could possibly go wrong flew out of his mind when the man in front of him smiled.

            “No, I’m not,” he said, his voice teasing. “That would be my brother.”

            “Then who are you?”

            The man smiled wider. “I’m Lee Donghae. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

            He felt his hands shake, fingers curling inwards as he began to dig his nails into the palm of his hands. The pain didn’t even register in his mind, not even minding the feeling of blood seeping out form the cuts. When it finally began to bother him, he finally decided to pry his fingers away from his skin, barely flinching at the feeling. It stung, he was aware of that, but all he could focus on was the man talking to his brother.

            The resemblance was strong, almost overbearing.

            And he didn’t like seeing his brother talk to him.

            _“Please…please…”_

_“No!”_

He was shaken out of his thoughts when he felt a hand land on his shoulder. It felt _real_ , grounding him to reality once more, and his eyes snapped over to who even dared to touch him. His shoulders began to relax slightly, his muscles easing once he recognized the person who got close to him.

            His brother flashed him a smile. “Relax, okay?” the younger urged, a mere whisper that can only be heard between the two of them. “Now, go and greet him.”

            Pursing his lips, he had half the mind not to. He already made the effort at first to get to know his fiancée’s – dead fiancée, he reminded himself – family. The fact he had to continue making himself acquainted with them was difficult enough, still mourning the loss of his fiancée.

            However, at the look his brother was giving him, he knew he had no choice but to obey. Reluctantly, his gaze shifted back to the other man in the room. His palms itched, the dried blood making the skin itchy, but he resisted the urge to pick at it. Instead, he formed a smile, no matter how strained it felt or seemed.

            “Hello, I am Lee Hyukjae,” he introduced himself. “Your sister’s…fiancé.”

            The other man looked unsure, glancing at Donghae for support. When Donghae sent him a reassuring smile, he looked back at Hyukjae, the uncertainty evident in his eyes even as he gave the older Lee a strained smile.

            “I’m…Cho Kyuhyun,” Kyuhyun finally introduced himself. “It’s nice to meet you at last, Hyukjae-ssi.”

            Hyukjae kept the smile painted on his face. “The pleasure is all mine. But…if you excuse me…”

            Without saying another word, he turned on his heel and walked out into the backyard through the sliding door connecting the outside with the kitchen. He could hear someone following after him, but his muscles didn’t tense as it usually would, telling him that the person who tailed him was none other than his brother. When he reached the gardens, the same garden Seohyun had taken him to many times before during the beginning part of their relationship. His eyes focused on the redness of the roses blooming in front of him. His fingers twitched just the slightest bit before he gave into the urge and wrapped his fingers around one of the stems.

            Thorns pricked into his palm, tiny droplets of blood coming out of the injury.

            “Hyung.”

            Hyukjae stiffened slightly, looking over his shoulder to peer at his brother.

            The younger man was smiling at him, the same kind of smile that made him slowly relax, the tension easing out of his shoulders. Donghae walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, and the weight of it was welcomed.

            It grounded him.

            “Come inside,” Donghae coaxed his brother. “You need to talk to her brother.”

            His grip on the rose stem tightened, the sting of the thorns growing painful as rivulets of blood began to drip. There was a voice inside of his mind, repeatedly telling him _nononononono_ – making his head begin to ache and his heart beat faster. It made his blood boil, a sudden desire for _something_ burning inside of him, desiring to be let out. However, when Donghae simply gave him that smile – kind and reassuring – he felt the tension bleed out of his shoulders.

            Hyukjae frowned slightly. “Do I have to?” he decided to ask instead, the reluctance evident in his voice. “I don’t particularly want to talk to her brother yet, especially so soon after her death.”

            “I know, but you have to. At least you can get this done and over with before the funeral procession.”

            The older’s eyebrows furrowed, seemingly mulling over the pros and cons. Finally, he released a breath and nodded, his grip on the rose stem finally lightening up and releasing the flower. Hyukjae saw the way Donghae’s eyes flickered down to his injured hand, but was thankful when the younger didn’t pry. He released a heavy sigh, giving a nod as he reluctantly followed his brother back into the house, stepping on the rose on the way.

            Stepping inside the house, Hyukjae became increasingly aware of the extra presence that was inside. It made his skin tingle, prickling with goose bumps at the sudden tension in the air. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, he shifted his gaze over to his brother, who stood beside him. It made Hyukjae relax slightly, knowing that Donghae was still there.

            He shifted his gaze when he heard the soft footsteps going in his direction.

            Hyukjae placed his eyes on the young man that now stood in front of him. He resembled his sister so much, right down to the cheekbones. It made him inhale sharply, his mind briefly tricking him as it replaced the young man’s visage with his sister’s.

            _“I love you…I love you…”_

“Hyukjae.”

            Jerking out of his thoughts, Hyukjae sent a glance toward his brother before looking back over at the young man.

            “I apologize for my behavior earlier,” Hyukjae finally said, his voice deceptively soft as he mustered a strained smile. “I’m finding it difficult to bear with this situation.”

            “Don’t worry, I understand.”

            His smile twitched at the slightest. “Do you?” he felt the need to question, earning him a disapproving look from his brother. “I’m sorry that we had to meet under such unfortunate circumstances, however. I had hoped our first meeting would be more…pleasant.”

            Kyuhyun eyed him for a moment. There was initial distrust in those eyes, one that Hyukjae couldn’t fault him for. But at the same time, he could feel his own skin begin to crawl from the stare, knowing all too well what it would do to him in return. He felt his hand twitch as the stare continued, feeling the crawling on his skin gradually become a burn.

            But he pushed the feeling aside, his smile brought back on full force.

            “Do you have any idea on how she could have died?” Kyuhyun wondered, his voice strained as he asked the question.

            Hyukjae’s fingers twitched before they all curled up into fists, blunt nails digging into the skin of his palm. “No,” he breathed out, sounding shaky. “But from the reports that was given to us, they told us, they could only have deciphered she had been beaten to death before she was burned. They had only discovered it was her by…noticing something…horrifying.”

            “And what was that?”

            The oldest remained silent, his hands shaking.

            It caused Donghae to step up, a calming force in the household, and he gave Kyuhyun a grim expression.

            “Her innards were torn out,” he shared, seeing shock flutter across the youngest man’s face. “Someone dug their hand into her stomach and tore all of her organs out. The remaining organs were salvaged as much as it was possible, but otherwise…”

            The look of despair masking Kyuhyun’s face made Hyukjae tremble, the memory of seeing his fiancée’s corpse flashing in his mind. He quickly excused himself, turning around and heading back into the garden. A part of him felt bad for showing such disrespect to his dead fiancée’s twin brother, but he needed to leave the room before he allowed the dam to break. He crouched down beside the rose bushes, his eyes mesmerized by the red color that adorned them.

            Eyes closing, he allowed himself to be lost in the memories.

\---

            It had taken an hour before Donghae was finally able to escape from what was going on inside the house. He had taken the initiative to lead Kyuhyun to his mother, explaining to him about what they planned to do for the funeral. When he was assured everything would be taken care of, he had stepped out into the garden.

            He briefly scanned the area; his shoulders easing out when he saw his brother still crouched beside the rose bushes. His fingers twitched when he heard his phone ring, the sudden sound bringing an abrupt end to the peace reigning in the gardens. A smile appeared on his face when Hyukjae turned to look at him, shaking his head when his brother moved to get up. Donghae held out a hand to him, a silent gesture for him to remain still. It earned him a look, but Hyukjae nodded as he returned to gazing at the roses.

            Turning away from his brother, Donghae took out his cell phone and answered the call; “I thought I told you not to call me at this hour.”

            _“Sorry, but I figured I’d call you now to give you a heads-up.”_

Donghae frowned, glancing back at his brother before glancing over at the house. “What happened?”

            _“The police wants a statement from Hyukjae,”_ came the reply, causing Donghae to frown deeper. _“They want to question him further to inquire whether or not he would know why anyone would kill Seohyun. They simply want to figure out if Hyukjae might have been connected to it somehow. After all, most of Seohyun’s life insurance money had gone to him—”_

“Which would explain why they want to talk to him now,” Donghae breathed out, cutting off the other man. “What a horrible time to choose to talk to him. He’s still mourning, and he’ll definitely throw a fit if they continue to insist on talking to him.”

            The person on the other end sighed out heavily. _“Well, we can’t exactly say ‘no’ to them either. It’s not like they’re gonna give up.”_

Running a hand over his face, Donghae thought about his options.

            He knew that the police were relentless when they begin to investigate, tracking down any possible leads and known acquaintances related to the victim. His hopes to divert them would prove to be unsuccessful since they would only keep coming back, but then he blinked as something clicked into his mind.

            “Well, then they’ll need to talk to the family first. Her brother is back in town, so maybe they’ll shift their attention to him instead. After all, who might know her better than her own twin?”

            There was a brief silence. _“Yes, but they haven’t been in contact with each other for a few years now. What makes you think her twin would even know anything? He’s probably even unaware of how her and Hyukjae got together in the first place.”_

“I’ll figure something out. For now, just keep an eye out.”

            Ending the call, Donghae pocketed the device and ran a hand through his hair.

            As he turned around, he was unsurprised to see Hyukjae standing behind him.

            “What happened?” the older demanded.

            Donghae smiled, placing a hand on Hyukjae’s shoulder to calm him from the anger he could sense was threatening to boil underneath the façade he was trying to keep up. He tightened his grip on Hyukjae’s shoulder when he saw the anger burning deep inside those dark hazel eyes.

            “It’s nothing to worry about,” he reassured the older. “Just focus on getting your speech ready for the funeral ceremony.”

            Hyukjae frowned at him deeply, but he eventually nodded. He pulled away from Donghae’s touch as he turned to face the house. “Let’s go home. I tire of staying in this place, and I want to get some sleep.”

            “Alright, but let’s say goodbye to Mrs. Cho and Kyuhyun-ssi first.”

            He saw the reluctance masking his brother’s face, but eventually, Hyukjae nodded. Satisfied, Donghae patted his shoulder before placing it flat against his shoulder in order to get him to start moving. At first, he was met with initial reluctance before the older man began to move back to the house.

            Donghae immediately placed a smile on his face when he saw mother and son standing in the kitchen, talking in hushed whispers before abruptly stopping when they entered.

            “It’s late, so Hyukjae-hyung and I are going to head home,” Donghae informed them, seeing the sadness mask Mrs. Cho’s face. He quickly smiled, hoping to placate her. “We’ll return in the morning.”

            Mrs. Cho glanced between them before nodding, and Donghae shifted his attention to Kyuhyun.

            He saw the uneasiness and the wariness lurking in the younger man’s eyes, sparking an interest in him. Never before had he ever been interested in anyone, but he could already feel that spark slowly turn into an ember. However, he was aware of his brother’s impatience, so he kept up his appearance, not allowing himself to slip.

            “Well, then, we’ll both see you tomorrow morning. Hopefully, we’ll be able to come early enough to come for breakfast,” Donghae told the matriarch, earning a soft chuckle from her.

            Mrs. Cho nodded. “I hope you two rest well.”

            “We will.” Turning to Kyuhyun, Donghae’s smile widened slightly. “Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow as well, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

            Kyuhyun looked taken back from suddenly being addressed, but nodded.

            With a respectful bow, Donghae led his brother away from the mother and son, and away from the house. It wasn’t long before both of them were in the car and on the road, Donghae choosing to drive once he noticed how distracted his brother appeared to be. He glanced over at the older man, a slight frown on his face upon seeing the expression masking his face.

            “What’s on your mind, Hyukjae?” Donghae decided to ask, shifting his gaze back to the road.

            Hyukjae clasped his hands together tightly. “They’ll suspect something soon. We need to put an end to the case before they discover something is wrong.”

            “I think with Seohyun’s innards being yanked out, they already do,” the younger commented, switching lanes as he headed towards to the exit. “We can only hope that we solve this before they decide to poke their heads into matters even more. Sungmin has just informed me that they want to question you again about her. Apparently, they suspect you to have planned her murder.”

            The older stiffened, teeth grinding together in anger. “How could they assume I would do anything like that? I would never—”

            “They’re simply going through with every possible lead they can find,” Donghae cut in, earning a sharp glare from his brother. He ignored the look as he calmly turned a corner before parking in the empty lot where they had a perfect view of the Banpo Bridge. Turning the car off, he exited the vehicle and moved to stand in front of it just as Hyukjae followed him.

            He tucked his hands into his pockets, watching as the bridge displayed the water show it was well famous for.

            “Donghae!”

            Donghae looked back at his brother. “You know as well as I do that unless they find the person who killed her, they won’t rest,” he argued. “And if they think you might have something to do with it, they’ll definitely try to get on your case about it.”

            “Even so, for them to accuse me after—”

            “For now, we have to let them do their job,” the younger told him quietly, eyes boring into Hyukjae’s in an effort to make him understand. “If we try to intervene in any way, they might actually think we had something to do with it.”

            Hyukjae appeared as if he was going to argue further, but then he eventually nodded. Stepping close, he gripped onto Donghae’s shoulders tightly as he bowed his head, exhaustion evident on his body.

            “I can’t keep dealing with this, Hae…”

            Sighing softly, the younger lifted his hand in order to pat his brother on the head in an act of comfort. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure nothing ever touches us.”


	3. Chapter 3

The sky was dark, grey clouds adorning its hinges as the first few drizzles of rain began to drop down. In the distance, thunder roared, a continuous drumming that echoed in the distance. It painted the picture of sadness, as there were sounds of people sobbing, some sounding hysterical and others quiet.

            Kyuhyun stood in front of the portrait of his sister, ignoring the sounds of hysterical crying coming from the others in the other room. They had done a traditional funeral ceremony, only saying a few words in a speech in order to convey what they all had been feeling. No one was able to say much for long, and throughout the ceremony, Kyuhyun had been keeping an eye on Hyukjae and Donghae, noting how vacant Hyukjae’s expression was through it all. It made him feel bad for the older man as he had been the one to be the last one to actually see Seohyun before her death.

            Even now, as he stood in front of her portrait, Kyuhyun couldn’t find it in him to find any sort of sympathy – or any positive feeling – for his dead twin sister. It was horrible of him, he knew, but he simply couldn’t find it in him to feel the slightest bit sorry for her. However, Kyuhyun had to keep up the pretense, knowing it pained his parents to see him so distant from them after so many years apart.

            “Kyuhyun?”

            Startled, Kyuhyun turned around, a small smile appearing on his lips upon seeing who it was. “Yunho-hyung,” he greeted. “What…what are you doing here?”

            “I came to pay my respects,” Yunho answered as he stopped beside Kyuhyun, giving a low bow to the picture of Seohyun. A few minutes later, he straightened up and turned to look at the younger. “What about you? Why aren’t you with the rest of your friends and family?”

            Kyuhyun gave a light shrug as he looked back at his sister’s picture. “I just can’t seem to believe it. I can’t even figure out why anyone would try to kill her.”

            “That is a mystery, isn’t it?” Yunho breathed out, tucking his hands into his pockets. “She has always been such a darling. The very idea of someone wanting to kill her is unimaginable. There’s no reason for her to be killed – cruelly, too, for a matter of fact.”

            Pressing his lips together, the younger decided to remain silent. He knew that it was possible he was the only one in his family and out of their friends to believe Seohyun wasn’t innocent. She often acted like the perfect daughter, the perfect sister, in everyone’s eyes, but they were wrong. He was her twin, after all, and he knew her better than anyone else.

            It was why he left Seoul in the first place.

            “Have you maintained contact at her when you left?”

            Kyuhyun glanced over at Yunho, seeing the older man focused on Seohyun’s portrait. He shifted his gaze away as a heavy breath escaped from him.

            “No,” he admitted. “After our last fight, we haven’t really talked to each other at all. In fact, the only thing I’ve heard from her was about her upcoming wedding with Hyukjae-ssi, but that’s all.”

            Yunho was looking at him, he knew, but Kyuhyun refused to look back at him.

            Finally, the older man said, “I have heard about the fight, but I didn’t think it would’ve caused you two to become this estranged. You two have always been close, after all. It came as a surprise to me that neither of you two have made the attempts to patch things up.”

            For a moment, Kyuhyun said nothing.

            “What we fought about…we would never have been able to make up,” the younger remarked, staring at his sister’s portrait. “It’s better this way, even if I do regret not being able to talk to her properly after five years.”

            “I see…”

            Kyuhyun gave a sharp nod, feeling as though the topic was about to approach onto certain boundaries and the need to leave surged through him.

            “I’m going to check on my parents. I’ll—”

            “Would you know any reason why anyone would want to kill Seohyun?”

            The question caught Kyuhyun off-guard, causing his poker face to falter a bit; however, he quickly masked it as he glanced back at Yunho, who was staring at him intently.

            “No, I don’t know why anyone would kill her. Despite my own differences with Seohyun, she’s a darling. There’s no reason why anyone would want to kill her,” Kyuhyun answered, watching Yunho’s face closely for even a hint as to what he was thinking.

            Yunho slowly gave a nod before smiling. “Right. She’s an angel – no one would have wanted to kill her.”

            The younger man gave another nod in reply before he left the room, deciding he needed some fresh air in order to clear his head. He quietly excused himself as he passed by people, ignoring their sympathies as he finally escaped outside. The fresh bout of cold air had him breathing it in deeply, his mind already clearing out from the troubled thoughts that lingered. However, it didn’t take long before the smell of tobacco wafted in his nose, causing him to look over.

            To his surprise, he saw Donghae leaning against the wall, breathing out a ring of smoke.

            “Do you mind?”

            Donghae glanced over, dropping the cigarette and putting it out by crushing the end with the heel of his foot. “Sorry. I keep forgetting not everyone is good with cigarettes,” the older man apologized.

            Kyuhyun shook his head. “No, it’s just that—Never mind.”

            The older man glanced over at him, his hands tucked neatly into his pockets. “Something on your mind?” he inquired. “You look as if you’re bothered by something.”

            For a brief moment, Kyuhyun thought about shaking his head, but then he nodded. He turned to look at Donghae as the older man shifted against the wall.

            “How did Hyukjae-ssi find my sister?” he demanded.

            Donghae’s face showed nothing; no flicker of emotion or even a falter in the poker face he was wearing.

            “I suppose ‘find’ could be more of a broad term,” Donghae muttered, looking away. “The police found her first – or whatever was left of her. They had brought Hyukjae in since their relationship was made to the public and your parents were out of the country during that time. He was the one who identified her.”

            “So you said he found her?”

            The older man shrugged. “Found…identified…either way, he was the person who brought her identity to the public once her death was announced,” he explained. “And it tore him up inside to see her in such a state.”

            Kyuhyun frowned at the information, knowing it wasn’t exactly what he wanted to hear. He knew he should be glad that someone had found his sister, even if it was the police, but the whole situation just didn’t seem right to him. In fact, everything seemed to fall out of place even more.

            He stared at Donghae for a moment, trying to figure the older man out, but it eventually drew Donghae’s attention over to him.

            “What is it?”

            “Can you help me?” Kyuhyun asked, surprising the older man. “I want to find out more about what happened to Seohyun, and hopefully, find her killer. I know it’s too much to ask of you since we don’t really know each other well, but hopefully it might lead to some connections.”

            Tilting his head to the side, Donghae eyed him for a moment, a hint of a smile on his face. “What? Are you a detective now?”

            “Hardly, but I want to be able to figure out as to why someone wanted my sister dead.”

            For a moment, the older said nothing before he slowly nodded. “Alright. Why not? Maybe then it’ll give my brother a peace of mind, too.”

            Sudden relief flooded through Kyuhyun, almost causing his knees to buckle. He didn’t know why he would feel relieved, but he did know that he was grateful Donghae had agreed to help him with trying to solve his sister’s murder.

            There was something about the older man that intrigued him, and he knew he needed Donghae if he ever hoped to get any sort of answers.

\---

            “So, who’s the poor victim this time?”

            A heavy sigh as a young man knelt by the victim, a look of disgust masking his visage as he took in the amount of blood that had pooled around it. The body had been encased in cold wax, having hardened after several hours, but it hadn’t been the first thing he had noticed when he entered the scene.

            It was the head perched on top of a pole with flower petals stuffed into its mouth.

            “Jung Yonghwa,” he eventually answered, his eyes taking in the corpse. “The younger brother of Jung Yunho – well, half-brother, anyway. It seems like he ran into some bad luck.”

            His partner made a face, clearly disturbed by the horrid scene they were forced to examine.

            “Do you think the person who killed him was the same person who killed that Seohyun girl?”

            The younger man frowned deeply in thought. “Perhaps, but I don’t want to make any assumptions yet. However, if it is the same person, then it’s possible we could have a serial killer on our hands. Although, I’m a bit at a loss as to what this guy could have done to warrant such a gruesome killing.”

            His partner simply shook his head before the ringing of his cell phone broke the silence that was threatening to envelop them, prompting him to pick up the call.

            “This is Detective Lee Sungmin.”

            _“Sungmin? It’s Yunho. I have some information for you.”_

Sungmin adopted a distraught look, noticing his partner glancing over at him curiously. Shaking his head, he turned away as an act of privacy as he continued the call.

            “Yunho, this actually isn’t a good time right now,” Sungmin whispered, glancing back at the corpse, as a few more cops appeared in order to take pictures of the crime scene. “In fact, it’s a really bad time for a phone call right now. Can’t this wait?”

            _“No. I have information regarding the Seohyun case, so this couldn’t wait any moment longer. What happened?”_

Breathing out, Sungmin pinched the bridge of his nose. He thought for a moment as to how to answer Yunho. Although Yunho and Yonghwa were never close, he knew that Yunho deserved to know what happened at least. He sighed out softly once he made up his mind.

            “We found Yonghwa’s corpse,” Sungmin finally answered, sounding reluctant. “The means of his death is…horrible.”

            For a moment, Yunho said nothing. _“I’ll be there as soon as possible. Don’t do anything.”_

Making a silent promise, Sungmin hung up the call and shifted his gaze over to his partner, who had backed away from Yonghwa’s body as soon as the forensics came in. He made a face at how horrible the crime scene was, the smell of blood almost enough to make him gag. Covering his mouth, Sungmin turned away from the scene, deciding to keep his gaze on his phone as he typed in a message.

\---

            Closing his eyes, Donghae leaned back against the couch as he placed an arm over his eyes.

            He could already feel his body aching, the day’s events finally wearing down at him once he allowed himself to rest. With keeping an eye on Hyukjae and talking to Kyuhyun, Donghae briefly wondered why he continued to involve himself in such a mess. It would be much easier for him if he simply stayed out of it; however, his conscience nagged at him to keep on going, to keep up with everything in hopes it will be over in the end.

            Despite his optimism, he could feel himself become worn down by the tenseness of the situation. All he had to do was bide his time, but he briefly wondered how much time they had left before everything spiraled downwards.

            It had been easy enough for him to help Hyukjae sleep, lighting the incense they had stocked up over the years to quell the nightmares his brother used to have. The smell of it surrounded the house, almost enough to make his head hurt from the overwhelming aroma. He had never been the type of person to enjoy the smell of incense, not even when it became a necessity to have it with them at all times.

            Eyes sliding open at the sound of a door opening, Donghae shifted and finally decided to sit up. He glanced over his shoulder to see his brother entering the living room, the smell of the incense clinging onto him. The smell of it made his nose wrinkle, but he refrained himself from saying anything. Donghae, instead, turned his head away and fell backwards.

            “You’re just going to laze around?”

            At the question, the younger man simply hummed, not bothering to answer.

            “Donghae.”

            “What would you rather me doing, Hyukjae?” Donghae wondered as he shifted a bit from his position in order to look at his brother. “As I’ve told you before, there’s nothing either of us could do right now. It wouldn’t do us any good if we do something reckless again.”

            Hyukjae breathed out as he sat in front of the couch, leaning his back against it. “Even so, I feel restless. We need to be able to do something.”

            With a soft hum, the younger man turned his head in order to look at his brother properly. He could see the tension building in Hyukjae’s shoulders, prompting him to get up and place a hand on his brother’s back, feeling him tense even more at the touch.

            He frowned. “Hyukjae, calm yourself. Remember what we talked about. If you lose control, I won’t be enough to keep you grounded.”

            Hyukjae huffed, but Donghae could feel the tension beginning to bleed out.

            Deciding not to show his relief, the younger pulled his hand back and sat up properly.

            “For now, let’s just keep going on with the motions,” Donghae uttered quietly, though fro the way Hyukjae’s ears twitched slightly, he knew his brother heard him. “Even if it takes a while, we have to keep going. Since the funeral is over, we no longer need to associate ourselves with her family.”

            Hyukjae gave him a look from over his shoulder. “You say that, but I heard you agree to help her twin brother in finding out what happened to her.”

            Stiffening at the mention of Kyuhyun, Donghae pressed his lips together, refusing to admit anything. He knew it was stupid of him to accept Kyuhyun’s request. It was too dangerous for him to keep getting close to him, but there was simply something about Seohyun’s twin that spoke out to him, piquing his interest and always grabbing his attention.

            He recalled actively seeking Kyuhyun out at the funeral, simply watching him, but not once daring to get close to him. He feared that if he did, Donghae might end up suffering a fate worse than Hyukjae’s; yet, at the same time, there was a desire inside of him that longed to be near the younger man.

            For a brief moment, Donghae wondered what had managed to get into him to even consider agreeing to the request.

            “Donghae, you shouldn’t get too close to him. They’re twins; there’s a chance of him doing the same thing she has done to me,” Hyukjae warned his brother, seeing the confliction on his face.  “Leave him alone.”

            Glancing at the older, the younger simply hummed as he laid back down on the couch. He placed an arm over his eyes, willing his incoming headache to go away. Donghae was well aware of Hyukjae giving him a look, one that often told him what he thought about Donghae’s actions. Despite loving his brother to death, the younger couldn’t allow himself to be swayed by Hyukjae’s own decisions.

            _Fall in love and let yourself get hurt._

The words rang in his head, and it made him grit his teeth.


	4. Chapter 4

_Blood dripped from her fingertips, creating miniscule puddles on the ground, just barely touching her feet. She took a step forward, her body moving on its own accord as if led on strings. Around her, mangled corpses were displayed, painting a macabre portrait in the hell she was walking in. The smell of blood filled her senses, causing her stomach to churn as its scent continued to surround her._

_Eventually, she stopped in front of a young boy, who was standing over the collapsed body of another boy. Both of the children were coated in blood, but her eyes were focused on the unconscious child, seeing the pool of blood that surrounded him. Inhaling sharply, she shuddered at the smell, the bloodlust inside of her continuing to grow._

_“Hand him to me,” she demanded._

_The boy defiantly shook his head, eyes glaring. “I won’t let you have him!”_

_“So unwise.”_

Eyes snapping open, Kyuhyun breathed heavily as he felt his heart constrict from the effects of the nightmare. He sat up, placing a hand on his chest, trying to steady his heartbeat. Drops of sweat began to drip down from the side of his face, dripping when it reached the edge of his chin and onto the back of his hand. Closing his eyes, all he could see was the remnants of the nightmare. It felt too real; he could almost smell the blood from the scene.

        It terrified him, enough to make his skin go cold and goose bumps to cover him.

        “What the hell was that?” he mumbled to himself, moving his hand from his chest in order to cover half of his face.

        The nightmare felt too realistic for him to even be comfortable with it. While he knew it was nothing more than just a dream, it still bothered him.

        It sent chills down his spine just from the mere thought of it.

        As he opened his eyes, Kyuhyun stared up at the ceiling, trying to decipher what the dream was supposed to be about. It was nothing he had ever seen before, even back when he was still a young boy. He and Seohyun would often grab books from the libraries they visited, learning more about the so-called dark ages, fascinated with how the world once was before everything gradually changed to brighter times.

        But not once had he ever admitted to Seohyun about these dreams he had been having since they were children, these dreams of a woman killing a family bore down on him heavily. He knew it shouldn’t affect him so much, but not once had he managed to ever forget about it.

        He stirred a bit when he heard his phone vibrate, the incessant sound quickly getting on his nerves. Getting up, he picked up the device, barely glancing the caller ID as he answered the call.

        “Hello?”

        _“I’m sorry, did I call at the wrong time?”_

At the familiar voice, Kyuhyun sat up straighter, suddenly wide-awake. “No, it’s okay. I was already up.”

        There was a humming sound, and Kyuhyun was surprised when he felt chills go down his spine at the sound of it.

        _“Well, if you’re sure. I was wondering if you wanted to meet? I might have some information regarding the case of your sister’s case if you still wanted to continue with trying to investigate what happened to her.”_

Kyuhyun glanced over at the clock beside his bed. “No, that’s fine. What time and where?”

        _“There’s a coffee house just north of N Seoul Tower. We can meet at noon, if it fits into your schedule.”_

“I’ll be fine. I’ll see you there then.”

        Hearing an affirmative, Kyuhyun ended the call and breathed out heavily.

\---

        Ending the call, Donghae breathed out a heavy sigh, pressing his cell phone against his forehead. He knew it was a risk to get close to anyone of the victim’s family, but there was a tug inside of him that continuously pulled him towards Kyuhyun. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, so it piqued his interest, wondering just what it was about Kyuhyun that attracted him. However, he knew that if he got too close, he would end up suffering the same fate as before.

        He placed the device on the nightstand just as he heard a loud crash come from downstairs. Exasperation flooded through him, making him sigh and feeling reluctant to get up from his bed. However, the decision was made for him when he heard yelling.

        Almost groaning, Donghae reluctantly got up from his bed and headed downstairs, eyebrows furrowing when he noticed who exactly was causing the ruckus.

        “It’s a bit early in the morning to fight over this, don’t you think?”

        Donghae’s voice echoed down into the living room, successfully managing to grab the attention of both occupants underneath. He only shook his head at receiving bashful looks, well aware that neither of them had the intention to wake him – not when he had managed to finally grab a decent sleep after so long.

        “Sorry,” Hyukjae mumbled, obviously embarrassed and ashamed.

        The man beside him appeared just as embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. “We didn’t mean to wake you up. I thought we were being quiet.”

        “You were,” Donghae deadpanned, “until I heard something break, so I decided to come check it out.”

        Upon seeing their guilty expressions, his eyes shifted to the side, sighing heavily once he noticed a broken vase lying in pieces. Straightening up, he rubbed the back of his head, ignoring the awkward silence that now hung in the air between the three of them. For a moment, he was tempted to return to his bed, wanting to simply make everything a dream, but he knew it wouldn’t be worth it.

        If he kept his eyes off these two, there would only be more trouble.

        “Just clean up the vase,” he finally said, breaking the tension. Donghae’s eyes soon shifted over to Hyukjae, who appeared displeased about doing the task. “And hyung, be good for Sungmin-hyung, okay? I’ll be going out later.”

        At the news, Hyukjae stiffened, his eyes immediately darting up to his younger brother. “Where? Are you meeting with Joohyun’s twin?”

        Donghae pressed his lips together as he stared down at Hyukjae. “I am,” he decided to answer, knowing it was best to simply be honest with his brother than to lie. Memories of past consequences briefly appeared in his mind. “But it won’t be long. He’s curious about her case, and we’ll need to find way to divert his attention from it before it ends up with him being killed.”

        At his words, Sungmin sent a certain look at Hyukjae, who ignored it.

        Instead, his older brother simply pressed his lips together, looking incredibly unhappy.

        “I don’t want you to be around that guy,” Hyukjae told Donghae. “We don’t know his intentions, and we definitely don’t know if he’s the same as his sister.”

        Looking down at Hyukjae, the younger was quiet for a moment. He understood Hyukjae’s worries, aware of the dangers that would come with being associated with Cho Kyuhyun. It made him want to rethink his decision to aid the younger man, but there was a nagging voice in his mind that urged him to go through with his promise.

        So, Donghae mustered up a smile. “It’ll be fine, Hyuk. I’ll have it all handled.”

        It was obvious from Hyukjae’s expression that his older brother didn’t believe him, but he eventually nodded.

        Giving him a nod, Donghae turned away, deciding he might as well start getting ready to meet Kyuhyun. As he headed towards his room, he paused when he heard footsteps behind him, glancing over his shoulder to see Sungmin following behind him.

        “What is it?”

        Sungmin gave him a look. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked quietly, making sure Hyukjae didn’t hear them. “If this Kyuhyun does anything to you, then Hyukjae will go all ballistic.”

        “It’ll be fine,” Donghae reassured him. “I know what I’m doing.”

        The other man stared at him hard before finally nodding, turning away and walked off.

\---

        _“Are you sure you still want to continue with this?” Donghae questioned, his expression one of concern as he followed Kyuhyun out of the café situated by the N Seoul Tower. “You don’t know what you might find out about your sister if you do.”_

_Letting out a huff, Kyuhyun turned around in order to face the older man better. “I don’ care what I find out as long as it’s the truth. She’s been murdered – it’s my right as her brother to figure out why.”_

_“And if it ends up hurting you?”_

_“Then that’s a risk I’m willing to take.”_

Donghae breathed out, watching his breath form a cloud in the chilling air.

        He replayed the conversation with Kyuhyun continuously in his mind, struggling to figure out why his words brought a certain ache in his chest. Frowning deeply, Donghae leaned against the hood of his car, watching the bridge continue out with its rainbow showers even in the frigid winter air.

        “I’m back.”

        Looking over, Donghae nodded to Kyuhyun as the younger man returned with their drinks, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee he had asked Kyuhyun to get for him.

        After deciding to find a place that promised them some solitude, they had mutually agreed on the park by the bridge. It had been a surprise for Donghae to realize how at ease he felt around the younger man, his skin tingling with the urge to touch, and his heart was pounding in a way it never had before. However, the more he paid attention to his body’s reactions, the more frightened he became as the realization slowly begun to strike down on him like lightning being thrown directly at him from the heavens.

        It made him reluctantly pry his fingers away from the tight coil he had curled them in, his nails pressing deep into his palms enough to almost break skin as he accepted his drink.

        “You never told me how Seohyun and your brother met,” Kyuhyun commented quietly, nursing his own cup of coffee.

        Donghae pressed his lips together, staring at the bridge.

        “It wasn’t exactly like a fairytale story if that’s what you’re hoping to hear,” the older man finally spoke up after he took a sip of his latte. “They met at a mutual friend’s party. His name was Kim Heechul, I believe.”

        Kyuhyun’s expression twisted into one of a grimace. “I’ve heard of him. Nothing ever good, though.”

        At his admission, Donghae’s lips twitched upward as if amused. “Well, he can be a bit…eccentric,” he responded, sounding almost unsure at the word he used to describe the odd man. “He’s certainly someone you wouldn’t want to get on a bad side, though.”

        The younger man frowned slightly, but decided not to venture any further on the topic of Heechul. If there was anything he learned from the rumors he had heard about the man, it was that he was a walking hurricane itself, ready to destroy and blow through anything that got in his way. He certainly had no desire to meet him if their paths ever crossed.

        “And then they just decided to keep meeting each other?” Kyuhyun questioned, reverting back to their original topic. “Somehow, that doesn’t sound like the Seohyun I knew.”

        Shifting his eyes over, Donghae tilted his head. “And what was the Seohyun that you knew like?”

        It didn’t escape Donghae’s attention that his question seemed to make Kyuhyun tense, the reaction only piquing his curiosity. It hadn’t taken long for him to decipher that the twins seemed to have a bad relationship, given the way Kyuhyun would react whenever Seohyun was mentioned. It made him curious, wondering if there was something that happened between the two. However, it was too soon, and he needed to divert the younger man’s attention _away_ from her murder.

        Yet, it did nothing to quell the burning in the pit of Donghae’s stomach, causing him to tighten his grip around his drink.

        He jerked a bit in surprise when Kyuhyun started talking again.

        “That’s not a question I’m ready to answer right now,” Kyuhyun said, staring at the bridge with a distant expression in his eyes. “What was the Seohyun that you met like?”

        Taken aback, Donghae blinked at him owlishly before pursing his lips and looking away from him.

        “Truth be told, I’ve never been acquainted with her enough to know her on a more personal level. We’ve only met a few times, but never spent enough time around each other to get to know each other,” the older man answered after a brief pause, struggling to remember what his relationship with Seohyun was. His eyebrows furrowed slightly at being unable to remember, but soon discarded it. “The best person to ask would be my brother, but—”

        “Is he still mourning her death?”

        “Yes.”

        Kyuhyun breathed out heavily, eyes sliding close.

        The sight of it caused something inside of Donghae to react to the action, causing his shoulders tense as an unbearable urge to do _something_ coursed through his veins. It burned him, the intensity of it surprising him greatly. Forcing himself to relax, he breathed out slowly and tried to calm himself.

        He needed to find out what this feeling was before it threatened to consume him entirely.

        “It’s getting cold,” Donghae spoke up, tearing his eyes away from Kyuhyun. “I don’t know about you, but I do prefer staying warm and comfy.”

        Opening his eyes, Kyuhyun looked over at him, his expression softening slightly with a faint smile. “Well, it was my fault for dragging you out of that café just to come out here to talk. So, I suppose that I should compensate by buying you lunch.”

        Donghae’s lips quirked upwards, a laugh escaping from him. “Well then, Kyuhyun-ssi, let this be the beginning of our partnership,” he remarked, a wide smile on his face as he held out his hand towards Kyuhyun. “It’d be nice to work with you.”

        For a brief moment, the younger man stared down at Donghae’s hand, and the older man felt that urge again. He hid it, however, and simply watched what Kyuhyun would do. If the younger man refused his hand, then it would be easier for Donghae to let go of these feelings that seem to continue springing up the longer he continued to remain with Kyuhyun.

        It came as a surprise when Kyuhyun eventually did take his hand, and the physical contact left Donghae’s skin tingling.

        He didn’t like it, but loved it at the same time.

        The smile Kyuhyun sent him only began to confirm the suspicions he held.

        “The pleasure will be all mine, Lee Donghae-ssi,” Kyuhyun said, his hold on Donghae’s hand tightening slightly. His smile widened. “I do hope you’ll find the patience to deal with me, though, since I can’t fully guarantee that I will be able to commit myself fully to this partnership either.”

        His words made Donghae chuckle, finally tugging his hand back. Even still, he could feel the warmth of Kyuhyun’s hand on his, his palm feeling tingly and almost causing shudders to go down his spine. He briefly wondered if this was how Hyukjae had felt whenever he fell in love; yet, Donghae was scared of the possibility, so he continued to ignore the feeling.

        He didn’t want to drown in that pool known as love.

        Donghae smiled. “Not at all. I’ll have to say the same to you, though, but let’s try our best in this partnership, shall we?”

        “Of course.”

        And when Kyuhyun smiled at him again, Donghae could feel his walls starting to break.


	5. Chapter 5

Hyukjae was aware of Sungmin’s gaze on him, but he continued to ignore the older man in favoring of watching the news. It hadn’t been a full day since Donghae had left; yet, it seemed like an eternity to Hyukjae. He knew he needed to remain calm, as not even Sungmin would be able to keep him grounded should he have another one of his episodes.

        His attention was forced when his ears caught the words of ‘murderer’, staring intently on the current news report. Furrowing his eyebrows, Hyukjae listened closely as the reporters covered the recent murder that had just taken place. The scenes they showed were censored, as evident from the way they blocked out certain images showing the murdered victim. However, despite the censorship, Hyukjae’s mind helpfully supplied the images for him, causing him to tighten his hand around the handle of his coffee mug.

        There was blood painted on the ground, a gruesome portrait that burned into his memory.

        Feeling anxiety begin to coil in the pit of his gut, Hyukjae’s fingers began to tap nervously against his knee. It did nothing to ease his nerves, only succeeding in making him even more nervous. His eyes shifted over to the clock, taking in the time, before finally – grudgingly – looking at Sungmin.

        The older man was staring at him, a silent vigilant by the wall.

        It was no secret to him that Sungmin distrusted him. The only reason why he even bothered with him was because of Donghae – who always had to clean up his messes one way or another. However, his brother wasn’t here with him; he was still out with Seohyun’s twin. The thought of them together made his blood boil in anger.

        Hyukjae wanted nothing more than to keep them apart.

        A sneer escaped from him as his mind continuously decide to torment him by plaguing him with images as to what could be happening. None of the images left behind made him happy, prompting him to finally get up. His movements finally prompted Sungmin to move, his body tense and defensive – almost ready to fight.

        “Relax,” Hyukjae drawled, waving a dismissive hand in Sungmin’s direction. “I’m not going to do anything.”

        Sungmin’s eyes sharpened. “You must think I’m an idiot if I’m just going to remain stationary.”

        A flicker of emotion passed in Hyukjae’s eyes, a smirk finally appearing on his face. He wondered just how far he would be able to go with being able to tease the older man. It made him want to test his boundaries with the detective, aware that if he pushed the buttons _just right_ , then it would make Sungmin snap faster than he ever did. However, at the same time, Hyukjae was well aware of the consequences that may follow should he do anything against Sungmin.

        Donghae wouldn’t be happy with him at all.

        At the reminder of his brother, Hyukjae’s mood dampened considerably, and he turned off the television.

        “Where do you think you’re going?” Sungmin demanded. “You know you need to stay inside today!”

        Stopping by the door, he turned his head to look back at Sungmin. A thrill went down his spine upon seeing the flash of terror in the other man’s eyes. It made his blood sing with the knowledge that he can easily incapacitate Sungmin easily should the man try to do anything to hinder him. It made his fingers twitch with the desire to do something about it; however, before he can do anything, the sudden ringing of cell phone broke the tension brewing in the room.

        Hyukjae remained rooted in his spot, eyes focused on Sungmin as he cautiously walked over to his cell phone placed on top of a table.

        “Hello?” came the murmur, so quiet Hyukjae’s ears had to strain to hear him. “Donghae? What’s – Oh, alright. No, he’s not going anywhere.” Here, Sungmin shot Hyukjae a glare that had him grinning. “He’s right here. Do you need to speak to him?”

        It was amusing to Hyukjae how Sungmin’s expression changed at whatever his brother was telling him. A snicker escaped form him at the sight of the resignation that decorated Sungmin’s face. It was clear that whatever was bothering Sungmin, it was directly related to him.

        Sungmin’s eyes darted over to him, clearly unhappy.

        “Fine, I’ll accompany him,” Sungmin practically gritted out. “Just be sure to hurry home.”

        Gradually, Hyukjae’s expression changed once he realized the conversation was pertaining to Donghae being out later than scheduled. It made his skin crawl with the knowledge his brother was still out there, spending time with the man who shared his sister’s face.

        “Hyukjae, control yourself!”

        The demand had Hyukjae breaking out of his reverie, a scowl forming on his face. It was only when he realized exactly why Sungmin barked out the demand that he realized he was drawing blood from pressing his fingernails in too deeply in the palm of his hand. There was a slight sting of pain from where the nails were indented into the palm of his hand.

        With a heavy breath, Hyukjae forced himself to relax.

        Realizing this now meant he had to remain in place until Sungmin gave him permission to move, he had to push back the initial childish urge to throw a tantrum. He had been told repeatedly that his childish tantrums often resulted in more chaos than order, which often had him being punished by Donghae just so that he could get his act together. More often than not, it had been becoming more frequently – a fact that always had Sungmin and Donghae on edge.

        He shook himself out of the thoughts threatening to consume him, blinking when he heard his name being called.

        Lifting his head, he focused on Sungmin, who was still standing a considerably safe distance away from him. He belatedly realized that the detective had his hand on the gun he had hidden hooked onto the back of his pants. Somehow, the sight of it was hilarious to him, enough that it caused him to laugh aloud. Forcing himself to relax, Hyukjae sent (what he hoped) was an amiable smile.

        It did nothing to cause Sungmin’s wariness to go away.

        And yet, it simply made Hyukjae all the more thrilled.

        He let out a snicker, no longer deciding to play nice and simply left the estate. Behind him, he heard Sungmin calling out to him, yelling at him to stop, but Hyukjae kept on moving.

        There was somewhere he knew he had to be.

\---

        Kyuhyun briefly wondered what had possessed him to go this far.

        It wasn’t in his nature to rush into anything without thinking through first, knowing and being all too aware of the consequences that may follow. The simple concept of falling in love had never been appealing to him; he had scorned relationships much like it was a pest. To him, it seemed much like a waste of time, even though his mother continuously tried to set him up with several possible suitors.

        However, after meeting Donghae, Kyuhyun could feel all of his beliefs about love starting to crumble down. There was simply something about the man that spoke to him, making his heartbeat faster just by standing in his mere presence. Just the mere thought of falling for Donghae was almost enough to get him to lower his defenses and let him in.

        _“Eh? So you’ve finally found someone?”_

Spine straightening and stiffening, Kyuhyun suddenly became aware of the cold air surrounding him, threatening to engulf him. Breathing out, he could see his breath form a small cloud in the air, making him realize even more how he was no longer alone in the house. Chills ran down his spine, and goose bumps began to form on his skin. For a brief moment, he considered convincing himself that he was dreaming, but as the cold grew dense, almost enough to cause him to choke up.

        Fingers curling inwards until he could feel his fingernails digging into the skin of his palm, Kyuhyun forced himself to remain still when he felt phantom touches trail up his neck.

        “…Seohyun,” Kyuhyun breathed out.

        A giggle echoed in the house. _“Hello, Oppa,”_ Seohyun’s voice purred out. _“I see you’ve made yourself acquainted with a certain Lee Donghae. Tell me – is he truly as people say he is? I’ve only ever met him a few times.”_

“Go away,” he hissed out. “You’re not real – _you’re not_.”

        Seohyun laughed, and Kyuhyun had to close his eyes in order to strengthen his resolve to try and ignore her. It grew increasingly difficult the longer he continued to feel her presence around him.

        “Go away,” Kyuhyun eventually gritted out, his fists tightening even more. “No one needs you here.”

        His sister laughed again; this time, it sounded more menacing. _“Oh, Oppa, how wrong you are. If I weren’t needed here, then I wouldn’t be here. Don’t you know how spirits work?”_ Kyuhyun shuddered when he felt a brush of cold air against the nape of his neck. _“You need me here, Oppa.”_

The implications in her words almost made him stiffen.

        The ability to see spirits wasn’t rare in his family; in fact, he and Seohyun had both grown up with the ability to see them since they were young children. He had constantly rejected this part of him; despite knowing it would forever remain a part of him. By the very fact that he was even able to see Seohyun now could only mean her presence was truly needed by him.

        Just the thought alone terrified him.

        “Leave,” Kyuhyun said again, his voice developing a deeper and menacing tone. “And never return.”

        Chime-like giggles echoed in the air before he finally felt the cold recede.

        Once he was sure she was completely gone, he felt himself slump forward in relief. Despite his relief, however, he could feel a new concern growing inside of him.

        Would he succumb to the same fate as Seohyun?

        Deciding not to worry about it, Kyuhyun pushed all thoughts about it out of his mind in order to figure out what else he needed to figure out about his situation with Donghae. The older man didn’t need to know about this special talent of his; he wasn’t even sure if he wanted to have a possible relationship with Donghae. If Seohyun decided to appear just because he was already growing attached to the younger brother of her former fiancé, then it could only mean nothing good will come out of it.

        He needed to keep his distance.

        Yet, just the mere thought of not being close to Donghae seemed to tug on his heartstrings.

        It made him wonder just how screwed he was.

\---

        Hyukjae briefly considered running away.

        The mere thought of stepping inside a church again was disgruntling, almost enough to make him run away. He was almost convinced the church itself was rejecting him, feeling some force trying to push him out. Hyukjae remained resilient, though, and kept himself from running away like his instincts were screaming at him to.

        Releasing a heavy breath, he forced his legs to obey him and moved to a pew, quietly taking a seat while he listened to the mass continue to proceed. He became aware of Sungmin taking a seat beside him, refusing to give him any attention as he stared and listened to the priest seemingly ramble on. None of what he was saying was going through Hyukjae’s head, but he felt like he needed to come there, find some way to get inner peace.

        He almost snorted, but refrained himself.

        If he wanted peace, then going to a church was the last place he would go to. He tried his best to avoid churches whenever he can, knowing that someone like him wouldn’t be welcomed in a place graced by God. Then again, he mused as his eyes lifted upwards in order to stare at the huge cross hanging on the wall behind the priest, there was no such God in the world they lived in.

        His fingers dug into his knee, beginning to feel restless as the priest continued to ramble on with the gospel. Hyukjae eventually blinked when he felt Sungmin nudge him lightly.

        “What?” Hyukjae mumbled.

        Sungmin glanced at him. “What are we doing here?”

        “I wanted to come here. Is that so bad?”

        Judging from the expression masking Sungmin’s face, Hyukjae figured it was. A bit of amusement rose up inside of him, but he pushed it down since he knew, at the very least, that the church was not the place to start anything. Instead, he chose to redirect his attention back to the front. People were beginning to stand, and he fought the initial urge to join them, partially out of fear of standing out and the other part of being partially afraid of being smited.

        God or not, Hyukjae didn’t want to take the chance.

        He listened to the people pray, feeling himself grow tense each time the prayer continued on. Eventually, after finally deciding he had enough, Hyukjae nudged Sungmin to move as he slipped out from the pew and escaped. Faintly, he was aware of Sungmin quickly moving to join him, but he didn’t care anymore.

        He had enough.

        Greedily gasping for air, he placed his hand against the wall, feeling his body shaking.

        Donghae’s words rang in his head, reminding him of what would happen should he choose to enter a holy sanctuary worshipping a deity, but Hyukjae could never recall it ever hurting this much. It simply made him all the more aware of the sins he committed.

        “Hyukjae?”

        Jerking at Sungmin’s voice, Hyukjae briefly wondered if Donghae would get angry at him if he decided to strike against their so-called friend. At the same time, the fear of possibly losing his brother was more terrifying than the possibility of getting caught. He forced his instincts back and glanced over at the detective, seeing the other man watching him apprehensively.

        “Don’t worry about me,” Hyukjae commented with a forced smile, only earning a glare. “Oh, don’t give me that look. We both know that we both have to behave, or else Donghae will give us hell.”

        Sungmin’s glare deepened. “I wouldn’t be giving you this look if you had just behaved and actually just stayed at home. Now, can we go back before something ends up happening? I don’t want to be the one to end up risking myself to save your ass.”

        The other man’s words caused him to smirk.

        “What are you two doing here?”

        At the unexpected voice, the two men stiffened and looked over to the side to see Donghae walking over to them.

        Hyukjae mustered up a smile. “I just came to watch the latest gospel and pay my respects. Is that so wrong?” Upon seeing the frown on his brother’s face, he figured it was, but he shrugged. “What can I say? I was starting to get cabin fever. You know how it is with me whenever I have to stay inside for such a long time.”

        Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Donghae glanced over at Sungmin, whose expression nearly resembled his brother’s.

        “I think next time, I’ll need to give you a schedule for him,” Donghae commented.

        Hyukjae had the decency to look offended, though it was betrayed by the mirth dancing in his eyes. “Come on now, Hae. I’m being good – I went to church, after all. Shouldn’t that at least count for something?”

        His brother gave him an unimpressed look, eventually shaking his head. “Let’s go home,” Donghae commented, sounding somewhat exasperated. “The last thing I need is for people to become suspicious of you just randomly standing out here in front of a church.”

        “Afraid I’ll flip?”

        “I’m more afraid that you’ll let your boredom get the best of you,” Donghae retorted, not at all fazed while Sungmin stiffened.

        Lips curling back into a grin, Hyukjae let out another shrug, obediently following his brother and Sungmin back home. He glanced back at the church just in time to see a shadow disappear, the grin falling as he wondered what that was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, sorry for the late update, but at least I made it in time for Valentine's Day? Haha...haha...
> 
> This chapter is unedited, and for that, I apologize.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise to edit this. PROMISE.

_As he opened his eyes, the sight of an endless star-dotted sky and the foliage of trees greeted him. Startled, he shot up into a sitting position, feeling his body protest at the movement. Eyes darting around, his eyebrows furrowed upon seeing himself sitting in the midst of a flower garden._

_It felt familiar to him, but he couldn’t quite pinpoint as to where the feeling was coming from. He had never been to anywhere like this before, so the fact he was there now was alarming. However, as he continued to scan the area, there was a calmness he never felt before already lifting the burden off of his shoulders. It was only when he felt a sudden presence appear behind him did he finally decide to turn around and see who it was._

_The man in front of him had him pulling back in surprise._

_“Who are you?”_

_A pair of crimson eyes, almost resembling blood, was gazing back at him. Somehow, the feeling he got from it felt familiar, like it was a part of him; however, it also sent chills down his spine. The look in those eyes made him want to cower; there was such power in those eyes alone enough to destroy everything he struggled to build up._

_When those eyes blinked, Donghae started as if broken out of a trance._

_“Who I am is of no importance,” the man finally answered, and Donghae was aware the air changed. “However, what I am about to tell you is.”_

_Confusion quickly settled in._

_“What are you talking about?” Donghae demanded, finally moving to get up onto his feet. He started when he saw the flowers around him begin to wilt briefly, almost turning into ashes, before it halted its process and returned to normal. A blink, and he jerked in surprise upon finding himself standing on a barren plane; though, he could see the field of flowers and a forest off to the side. Heart beating quickly, he looked back at the man, whose gaze had not once wavered._

_Head tilted to the side, the man blinked once. “You know who I am, so I won’t beat around the bush for this: your life is quickly approaching its end.”_

_Dread was Donghae’s first reaction, quickly being followed by a grim understanding._

_“So what? You came here to warn me about my death?” Donghae questioned, his tone full of doubt. “For someone like you, I didn’t think you even bothered to care.”_

_Those red eyes flashed, a darker color than the crimson it held – it made Donghae think of blood._

_“I could care less about the situation you’re in,” the other man agreed. “However, this is a different situation.”_

_“And why do you say that?”_

_To Donghae’s surprise, those crimson eyes softened, suddenly as if bearing a greater pain that he was unaware of. There was an unexpected pain coming from the older man – a pain not once associated to his very being. For him to show such emotion, it meant whatever troubled him was deeply concerning indeed._

_“I cannot tell you the exact details, but I will tell you that the path you’re on now, it will only result in tragedy.”_

_“Do you think it can be stopped?”_

_The other man was quiet for a moment, and Donghae stared at him._

_When those crimson eyes closed briefly, a sudden chill passed over Donghae’s skin. Out of reflex, he ended up hugging himself, almost as if to protect him from something that he cannot see. From the corner of his eye, he saw a faint burst of light, too blinding for him to look over at it properly. It caused the cold to recede, but not enough before the chill vanished, replaced by the warmth of the light._

_As the light died down, he looked back at the other man, seeing those eyes gazing back at him with deceptive calmness._

_For once, it made Donghae fear for his own future._

_“You—”_

_The other man slowly shook his head, preventing him from saying anything further. “Once the hands of times have been turned, there is no way to prevent it from happening,” he spoke up, his tone rueful. “I have defied fate, I have caused everything to become torn apart. If fate continues to be defied, then the end results would only be more catastrophic.”_

_“So, you’re saying I should keep on walking this path of tragedy, then?”_

_“Whatever choice you make will result in the future laid out in front of you,” the other man corrected. “But either future will end in tragedy; there is nothing you can do to change that. The only thing you can change is how you want to play that tragedy out.”_

_“The future can’t be changed.”_

_Eyes softening, the other man gave a short nod. “That’s correct, because it has to be played out, no matter what choices you make. Yours, especially, because of who you are and from whose soul you originated from. It’s because of that, in the end, you’ll simply—”_

Eyes snapping open, Donghae awoke with a gasp, suddenly feeling as if all the air in his lungs had been stolen from him. Forcing himself to sit up, he clutched at his chest, desperately gasping for more air. It seemed that, no matter what, the oxygen keeping him alive continuously flowed out of him, making him breathless.

            He felt hands on his shoulders, steadying him as he fought to regain his breathing. Gradually, he began to calm down, his heart beginning to return to its normal heart rate and his lungs felt full again. Feeling exhausted, Donghae leaned against the body cradled against his, feeling the hands on his shoulders move in order to embrace him instead.

            Eyes closing, Donghae concentrated on calming himself down, feeling fingers thread through his hair in a calming gesture. The arms around him tightened briefly to keep him grounded.

            “What’s wrong?”

            At the question, he finally dared to peer up at his brother, seeing the older man gaze down at him in concern.

            “It’s nothing, just a nightmare.”

            Eyebrows furrowed in concern, Hyukjae asked, “Are you sure that’s it? Not even nightmares managed to get you to be like this before, so it must have been something else.”

            Fragments of his dream – vision? – fluttered back to him. The words were on the tip of his tongue, almost begging to be told, but he held himself back. Telling Hyukjae would warrant more harm than good, considering his brother’s current state of instability. Besides, Donghae wasn’t even sure if talking about his dream would do any good for their current situation.

            _A pair of crimson eyes, resembling blood, gazed at him with something like pity._

_Pained, regretful words echoing in his mind of a future he cannot prevent._

_A darkness that felt comforting, but cold, as it moved to embrace him as he fell from the light._

Blinking once, Donghae shook his head. “It wasn’t anything, Hyukjae. Even I have to suffer from terrible nightmares from time to time. There’s nothing to be concerned about.”

            “It _is_ , especially since you always make sure you don’t suffer from nightmares yourself.” As if to solidify his argument, Hyukjae’s eyes darted around the room to where there was incense burning on the dresser. His eyes went back to Donghae, his expression stern. “What aren’t you telling me, Donghae?”

            Donghae held back the urge to flinch.

            Sometimes, he hated the times when Hyukjae would decide to be intuitive.

            He had a choice of telling the truth or continuing the lie. Either way, the choice would simply hurt Hyukjae more.

            “It’s nothing,” Donghae reiterated, seeing the look in Hyukjae’s eyes harden. “Hyukjae, really. I let my defenses slip, which is why I got the nightmares. Other than that, it’s nothing to be worried about.”

            “It seems like your defenses has been slipping ever since you’ve begun to spend your time with Joohyun’s twin.”

            The accusation made Donghae clench his fingers tightly around his sheet, gripping it hard enough until his knuckles turned white. However, he withheld the need to tense up in reaction to the words, knowing Hyukjae would be noted to the subtle movement with how close he currently was. His brother knew him better than anyone else, so it wouldn’t be surprising for him to quickly catch up on body language and its subtle shifts to react to the environment around him. If Donghae gave the slightest hint he felt offended by his accusation, he feared it would be the one to cause Hyukjae to snap.

            Even so, he shifted a bit so that he was able to look at Hyukjae better, despite still being ensnared in his arms. Gently, he placed a hand on Hyukjae’s arm, hoping to keep him grounded to their reality.

            “Kyuhyun has nothing to do with this,” he tried to assure his brother. “If he did, it would simply be a coincidence.”

            Hyukjae’s eyes narrowed. “There’s no coincidence, especially since you seemed to have taken interest in the twin, Donghae.”

            “Hyukjae.” Donghae felt guilt gnaw at him when his brother’s expression began to change. His grip on Hyukjae’s arm tightened, trying to make the older man focus on him and his voice. “Don’t get so wound up over it. I slipped once, that’s it. I won’t let it happen again. Just go back to bed.”

            It was obvious to the younger that his brother didn’t find any comfort in his words at all. To his relief, though, Hyukjae finally gave a nod to show he understood and began to pull away from him.

            With a sigh, the older man completely pulled away from his brother, but kept his fingers threaded into Donghae’s hair. “I know you’re keeping secrets from me, and although I’m not happy about it, I’ll respect your decision. Just please don’t hold anything back from me – you know how much I hate that.”

            Eyes softening, Donghae only nodded, allowing Hyukjae to rest their foreheads together.

            It was such an affectionate gesture, so familiar to Donghae after so many years. He allowed his brother the moment, hearing him sigh as he pulled back.

            “Go back to sleep, Hae,” Hyukjae mumbled as he pressed a kiss on top of Donghae’s head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

            Giving a short nod, Donghae watched the older man leave his room. Once the door shut behind him, he released a heavy breath and fell back onto his bed. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling his body slowly relax after the sudden confrontation. While he wasn’t afraid of his brother, there were times when even Donghae would admit it would be best to tread carefully around the older man.

            Tomorrow would bring another dawn, but he briefly wondered if it was worth seeing.

\---

            Kyuhyun clutched at the toilet tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion. His body felt sick, his stomach churning with nausea. It made him want to throw up, his lungs already beginning to heave from the thought of vomiting. With a deep breath, he gagged a bit at the pungent smell filling his nostrils. Forcing himself away from the toilet, Kyuhyun pushed his back up against the wall, his knees coming up to his chest.

            Wrapping his arms around his legs, he pushed his forehead against his knees, struggling to calm himself down. His skin felt cold and clammy, no doubt from the sweat that had formed earlier when he woke up from his nightmare, and his heart was still racing.

            _Blood red eyes staring into his, a wicked grin on a pale face._

_Long fingers reaching up to cup his cheek akin to a tender hold, but all he could feel was ice running through his veins._

_“You will do what I need to finish. You will end him.”_

Eyes closing shut, Kyuhyun held back a whimper.

            He jerked a bit when he heard the alarm on his cell phone ring, kindly reminding him of his appointment he had with Donghae. With a shaky sigh, Kyuhyun got up to his feet, deciding to get ready.

 

            The blast of cold air woke him up, making him shudder as he tugged his jacket closer.

            Briefly, he reconsidered calling Donghae to call the meeting off, but then unexpected guilt decided to gnaw at him. He was the one who asked Donghae to meet in the first place; the least he could do was actually go through with it.

            He hissed a bit when he slipped on a piece of ice, staggering until he felt a hand wrap around his upper arm to steady him.

            “Thank—” Kyuhyun paused when he looked up, seeing Donghae’s smiling face. “Thank you.”

            Donghae chuckled, shaking his head as he let go of Kyuhyun’s arm once the younger was steady. “What’s got you so deep in thought that you almost fell on your face?”

            Feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment, Kyuhyun scoffed. “It’s nothing to be concerned over. I just couldn’t sleep last night.”

            He was surprised when the smile shifted into a concerned frown.

            “Do you want to talk about it?”

            Does he? Kyuhyun could still remember the agony he felt when he woke up, the desperation clawing at his chest as he struggled for air. His skin had felt cold and clammy, covered in sweat that accumulated during the onslaught of his nightmare. In his mind, he could still vision the blood red eyes gazing down at him cruelly, the wicked grin widening on a pale face.

            He felt a chill go down his spine at the mere memory of it.

            Shaking his head, he answered, “No, it’s fine. It’s not something I want to dwell on, anyway.”

            Though Donghae looked far from believing him, relief flooded through Kyuhyun when the older man nodded.

            “Well, since it’s still early, how about we just buy some food and head to Hangang Park?” Donghae suggested, tucking his hands into his pockets. “There, we can reevaluate the information Inspector Lee had given us a couple of days ago.”

            Kyuhyun simply nodded, his mind still racing with thoughts he couldn’t control. He followed Donghae to a nearby food vendor, sticking close to the older man out of habit – or so he liked to claim. The comfort he received from the older man was gradually growing to be familiar, making him feel the slightest bit secure enough to lower his defenses.

            It made him want to get closer.

            “Penny for your thoughts?”

            Amusement grew in the younger man, a chuckle escaping from him. “I don’t think pennies are worth anything here in Seoul,” he told the older man, seeing Donghae grin. “Not that you’d be able to afford my thoughts, anyway.”

            Donghae smirked at him. “Who says I’d be able to afford it with just money?”

            Heat flooded into Kyuhyun’s cheeks, making him pull back from Donghae at how close the older man had suddenly gotten.

            Mirth danced in the older man’s eyes, his smirk easily shifting into a grin. “You’re such an adorable little thing, Kyuhyun-ssi.”

            “I am not adorable.”

            “No, of course not,” Donghae agreed as he pulled away from the younger man. “I just wanted to see what kind of reaction you’d end up making. Completely different from your twin, that’s for sure.”

            Kyuhyun’s eyes lit up.

            It wasn’t often that Donghae would talk about Seohyun. He initially claimed it was to prevent his brother from remembering his deceased fiancée, though Kyuhyun liked to believe there was something more to the story. From what he had learned in the beginning of their partnership, Donghae and Seohyun hadn’t been aware of each other, or that they even talked to each other much.

            From the beginning, it made Kyuhyun confused, especially after seeing how close Donghae was to his brother. He was certain that Hyukjae would have made attempts of getting his brother and fiancée to know each other; then again, he mused, he didn’t know Hyukjae that well either to make such an assumption.

            The older Lee seemed to enjoy eluding him.

            Kyuhyun shook his head from the thought, glancing at Donghae. “You know, you never really talk about your relationship with my sister. Did you guys even—”

            “Anything I know about Seohyun is only from what Hyukjae told me,” the older man said, cutting him off. “As I’ve told you before, your sister and I haven’t really interacted much. Hyukjae enjoyed talking to me about her, especially when they were first going out. It was my first time hearing him talk so animatedly about a person before.”

            “And you never took the chance to get to know her?”

            It confused Kyuhyun, struggling to decipher _why_.

            Donghae seemed to notice his confusion since he gave him a kind smile. “I was never interested in her enough to get to know her, as harsh as it sounds,” he explained. “The two of us never talked, and neither of us made the attempt.”

            “I would’ve thought Seohyun would’ve made the attempt,” the younger man muttered, remembering how outgoing his twin was. Then again, he mused, it had been years since he talked to her. After their falling out, Kyuhyun made a vow to never speak to his twin again.

            The betrayal was still fresh in his mind.

            For a moment, the older man said nothing, though he did look at Kyuhyun closely.

            The look he was giving Kyuhyun made the younger man shift a bit uncomfortably. Somehow, it made his body begin to heat up, and he was sure his own cheeks were beginning to turn red just from the way the older man kept looking at him. Suddenly feeling flustered, he lowered his head down to his food, and deciding to entertain himself with eating it.

            He nearly started when he heard Donghae laugh, the sound of it so surprising that it had Kyuhyun looking up at Donghae with wide eyes.

            Seeing the bright smile on the older man’s face was almost enough to give him a heart attack.

            “You’re unexpectedly cute, Kyuhyun.”

            The compliment made the younger man turn to a brilliant shade of red, prompting Donghae to laugh again.

            Feeling embarrassed, Kyuhyun scowled at him and punched his arm. “Shut up. You’re going to attract attention to us.”

            “Sorry if I find you cute,” Donghae retorted, finally managing to calm down, though a few chuckles still escaped from him. “But, we’re not going to accomplish anything if we linger here. Let’s go find somewhere to continue our investigation, shall we?”

            Kyuhyun gave a nod, though he was confused.

            It didn’t escape his notice that his current companion was making sure that they never lingered on the topic of Seohyun for long. It made him wonder just what happened between the two of them that had Donghae making sure they never talked about her too much. His eyebrows furrowed, but he obediently followed the older man as he began to lead them to Hangang Park. While he wasn’t sure about their past, he did know something about the older man.

            Donghae was somehow connected, or at least aware, to the person who murdered his twin.

\---

            Hyukjae feared for his brother.

            While he was sure Donghae wasn’t aware of it (though, by now, he would have), Hyukaje knew that as long as he lingered around Seohyun’s twin, then his brother would suffer the same fate. It was the reason why Donghae had never shown a particular interest in anyone before. Hyukjae had already gone off to the deep end, but not his younger brother.

            Donghae was always careful, never allowing himself to be interested in anybody.

            The fact he seemed to be developing affections for Kyuhyun sent alarms ringing in his head. His instincts screamed at him to protect his brother, to prevent him from falling into a downward spiral like him. Donghae was his anchor; if his brother fell, then who would be left to pick up the pieces?

            Hyukjae ignored the startled looks he received when the glass of water he held in his hand shattered, the shattered pieces splintering into his hand. Blinking once as if surprised, he lifted his gaze from his hand to look up at the waitress who had hurried over to help him.

            “Are you okay, sir?” the waitress fretted, placing the first aid kit on the table.

            Eyebrows furrowing, he was about to ask her what she was talking about before he felt it – blood running down his skin. Startled, Hyukjae lowered his gaze back down to his hand, seeing shards of glass being taken out, but allowing rivulets of blood to come out from the cuts.

            “Sir?”

            “Ah, I’m fine,” Hyukjae answered, smiling at the waitress, who blushed. “Thank you for helping. I’ll pay for the glass, too, since it’s my fault that it broke.”

            The waitress was quick to shake her head. “N-No, it’s okay! I’m just glad you haven’t hurt yourself too much. The cuts seem shallow enough, so you wouldn’t need any stitches. Even so, I do recommend that you go to a doctor to get it checked out.”

            Hyukjae was amused, and the smile remained on his face. “Thank you again. I do apologize for the glass, though.”

            “I-I’m just happy to help,” the waitress stammered, finishing cleaning up his hand. As she bandaged it, her face remained a bright red; her fingers trembling just the slightest as she carefully wrapped the bandages around her hand.

            It made Hyukjae want to chuckle, but he kept the smile on his visage.

            After she finally finished, he thanked her once more, earning a spluttering response before she grabbed the first aid kit and the dirtied cotton balls, and practically ran away.

            “What an amusing girl,” Hyukjae hummed to himself. He gave a nod when another waiter stopped by his table, politely requesting him to move aside so he could clean the remaining shattered glass. As he left money on the table for them, he was quick to leave the site in order to get some fresh air.

            He could still feel his blood staining his hands.

            For a split second, his thoughts took a dark turn, but he was quick to push it aside.

            “Hyukjae!”

            Freezing in place, Hyukjae breathed out a cuss before he reluctantly turned around to view the person who called his name. “Siwon,” he greeted the younger man, being sure to keep the disdain out of his voice. “What are you doing here?”

            “I just finished having a meeting with my client,” Siwon answered, stopping beside him. “How have you been doing lately? I know it’s already been a few weeks since Seohyun’s death—” He froze at seeing the dark look in his friend’s eyes. “Have the police found anything yet?”

            Hyukjae took a moment to answer before replying, “No, not yet. They’re still trying to find the culprit and figure out their motives for killing Seohyun, but still nothing.”

            “Are you…still under investigation?” When Hyukjae shot him a quizzical look, Siwon swallowed. “Well, the rumors spread. People have been talking, saying that you could be the one to have killed Seohyun, but it makes no sense. The two of you looked so happy together; there would be no reason for you to want to kill her.”

            _So naïve,_ Hyukjae wanted to say, but held himself back.

            There was no point in having people suspect him even more, including someone like Siwon.

            Hyukjae shook his head. “No, they stopped investigating me once they’ve realized they couldn’t get any concrete evidence of me wanting to kill Seohyun. I’ve got enough solid alibi to deter them.”

            “That’s a relief. So, how about we go out for a drink tonight?” Siwon suggested, a bright grin on his face. “We’ll gather up the whole gang, too, and even invite Donghae. It’d be nice to have everyone gathered around again and hang out.”

            “Sure, sounds like fun,” Hyukjae agreed. “Is Changmin coming, too?”

            Siwon gave a shrug. “Probably, but I’m not sure. I’ll give you the details, though, on where to meet later. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll see you later.”

            Giving a nod, Hyukjae watched the younger man sprint away. He hummed to himself softly, head tilting to the side. Eventually, a smile appeared on his lips, beginning to feel amused over what Siwon had just told him. If the chances of Changmin coming were high, then it would make his night go easier than he originally planned.

            He just had to make sure to separate his brother from the pest first.

\---

            Kyuhyun was sharper than Donghae had originally given him credit for.

            It didn’t escape the man’s attention how Kyuhyun looked at him, a question burning in his eyes with the demand of answers. More than once, it made Donghae want to run, his instincts screaming at him to, but he always fought against it. Despite his better urges, he wanted to stay close to the younger man.

            Memories of his dream came flashing in his mind.

            Shaking his head, Donghae was brought back to reality when he heard a yelp, instinctively catching Kyuhyun before the younger man landed on his face. By keeping his arm wounded tightly around Kyuhyun’s waist, he steadied the younger man. It didn’t escape his notice how _right_ it felt to have him by his side, and how nice it was to hold him.

            It almost made him drop Kyuhyun in surprise – almost

            “Umm…you can let me go now.”

            Startled, the older man realized he was still holding onto Kyuhyun, and slowly let him go. “Sorry. Are you okay?”

            Kyuhyun gave a shy nod, contradicting the confident nature he usually exuded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Thanks for the save.”

            “Ah, it was nothing.”

            As the younger man separated from him, Donghae was slightly stunned when Kyuhyun refused to let go of his hand.

            “…Kyuhyun?”

            Kyuhyun’s face was a brilliant shade of red, but he refused to let go of Donghae’s hand, almost clinging onto it for dear life. “S-Sorry. I just…didn’t want you to let me go.”

            The confession was definitely unexpected, the older man thought, but he couldn’t find it in himself to feel at all disappointed. In fact, he felt _ecstatic_.

            _“If you continue on this road, you’ll only meet tragedy.”_

Words echoed in his head, and Donghae nearly jerked back in surprise.

            “Why?” The question was quiet, almost a whisper, but Kyuhyun heard it all the same.

            The younger man shook his head, his expression one of confusion. “I don’t…I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But what I do know is that I don’t want you to let me go. Just don’t let me go.”

            Donghae’s expression softened.

            He released a deep sigh, staring at their linked hands. As he stared at it, the words and the man from his dream decided to come back, warning him of the dangers of possibly pursuing a relationship. It had him hesitating, along with the knowledge that his brother would be less than pleased. However, Donghae found it in him to lace their fingers together.

            It felt right, so why was it a mistake to be together with this man?

            “You do realize we still barely know each other, right?” Donghae asked, allowing his tone to sound teasing.

            Kyuhyun mustered up the strength to smile. “I know, but…this isn’t something I can really help feeling.”

            Eyes softening, Donghae tried his best not to think of the consequences that may follow; instead, he simply held onto Kyuhyun’s tighter. With a soft hum, he lifted up their linked hands in order to press a kiss against the back of Kyuhyun’s hand, smiling at seeing the way Kyuhyun’s cheeks seemed to turn brighter.

            _“My precious light.”_

The words were whispered in Japanese, though judging from Kyuhyun’s puzzled look, he didn’t understand it. It was just fine with Donghae, and he gave the younger man another smile as he lowered their hands, allowing it to rest between them.

            He wondered how Hyukjae and Sungmin would react. He was sure his brother would immediately flip out and Sungmin would begin to question his sanity. But for now, Donghae would allow himself this happiness for as long as it could last.


	7. Chapter 7

Hyukjae wondered if Sungmin would freak out once he realized he was missing, but then discarded the thought. It didn’t matter to him what the detective thought; to Hyukjae, he was nothing but a pain ever since he and Donghae had met him. Then again, he mused, it would be fun to know what the man’s reaction would be once he realized he was no longer in the house or any of the locations marked ‘safe’.

            After all, it was entirely entertaining for Hyukjae to mess with Sungmin.

            Blinking once, he soon decided not to think about the detective as he stepped into the building Siwon had reserved for the night. He gave a nod of greeting to the security that stood nearby, allowing one of the servers to take his coat before he decided to look around. There weren’t many people around, he knew, but he also knew that Siwon had the tendency to invite numerous people to his gatherings if he felt the need to go all out.

            Sometimes, he believed Siwon just wanted to show off.

            Hyukjae continued to look around, a frown soon making its way onto his face.

            His attention was soon caught when he heard a boisterous laughter echo in the room. Immediately directing his attention in that direction, Hyukjae allowed himself to smirk once he caught sight of the man he was searching for.

            “Hyukjae, don’t think about it.”

            Stopping in his steps, he felt his shoulders tense at being caught before forcing himself to relax. With a smile on his face, Hyukjae turned around in order to look at his brother, whose expression was one of disapproval. With a glance at his brother’s face, he soon shifted his gaze slightly over Donghae’s shoulder to see Kyuhyun standing there, the other man appearing reluctant to even be inside of the building.

            Almost immediately, Hyukjae’s expression twisted, but he forced himself to look back at his brother.

            “Think about what?” he questioned, making sure to keep his voice innocent. Judging from Donghae’s expression, it didn’t work. So, Hyukjae sighed and gave his brother an unimpressed look. “It’s none of your business, Donghae. Look, I’m actually going to enjoy myself in this party. You’re free to do the same with your little boy toy.”

            It came to little surprise to Hyukjae when his brother’s expression shifted. To those who don’t know him, they might not have caught the subtle shift, but Hyukjae did – of course he did. He knew his brother inside and out; it would be a damn shame if he didn’t. What was surprising to Hyukjae, however, was how defiant Donghae had gotten at the mere insult.

            Donghae had always been protective of those he cared about, but those he cared about either shunned him away or died, leaving only him and Hyukjae behind. His brother had been hurt far too many times, most of the time for Hyukjae’s sake, so it had been a wonder as to how the younger man hadn’t collapsed from the sheer weight on his shoulders.

            It was what made Hyukjae both envious and proud of him.

            Unfortunately, today wasn’t the right day.

            “You should go entertain yourself with him,” the older whispered, a smirk forming on his lips. “After all, who knows how long it’s been since—”

            A pained hiss escaped from him when Donghae grabbed his wrist in a tight grip, almost enough to snap his wrist if he so wanted. It made Hyukjae want to laugh, but he knew better than to do so. Not when Donghae seemed to be on the defensive – not when his brother would no doubt fight him. It made his own blood start to boil, but not with anger – with anticipation.

            It had been a long time since he and Donghae had fought, after all.

            “Don’t, Hyukjae,” Donghae whispered, his tone on the edge of being pleading and threatening. “Don’t do this.”

            Hyukjae simply chuckled, managing to yank his wrist away. “Relax, Donghae. I’m just going to drink and catch up with some friends. No need to worry.”

            Before he can allow Donghae to say another word, he slipped into the growing crowd. He could feel his brother’s eyes focused on his back. Resisting the urge to look back at him, Hyukjae kept going, needing to find the man he originally came to the party for. With a quick scan around the room, Hyukjae felt the corner of his lips twitch into a frown.

            So far, there was no sign of the man, and if he wasn’t here, then Hyukjae had wasted his time coming.

            Heaving out a sigh, he debated whether or not he should abandon his plan. It would be a fruitless venture if he couldn’t even set out what he had to do; already, he could hear Donghae scolding him for his reckless behavior. Then again, he mused absently as he avoided colliding into a waiter; his brother seemed to be becoming a bit of a hypocrite himself lately. It made him smirk lightly at the turn of events, wondering how far his brother will go before he descended into madness as well.

            _“You need to protect him.”_

He stopped at the voice, making a face. Eyes glancing down at his wine glass, Hyukjae held back the scowl threatening to appear as he stared at his reflection.

            _“He is your **brother**. He has always stood by your side – he is your only foundation left. If you leave him, then you will have nothing.”_

Hyukjae glared at his reflection, his grip on the wine glass tightening.

            It seemed to be mocking him, whispering words in his ear that he didn’t need to be told were true. He didn’t need any of that to be repeated to him, already more than familiar with the consequences.

            He warned Donghae.

            If his brother decided to be stubborn, then let him – Hyukjae didn’t want to have any part of that.

            …Except that he did.

            Hyukjae was torn between wanting his brother to suffer the same fate he was, but at the same time, he yearned that the younger would be free from the same sins that stained his hands.

            _“You cannot leave him.”_

Hearing the glass crack in his hand, Hyukjae hastily put it down on a passing server’s tray. Once the glass was safely out of reach, he decided to get some fresh air, knowing that he’d end up feeling suffocated the longer he remained in the room. Being surrounded by so many people always did make him uncomfortable.

            He briefly wondered how Donghae could always manage to last so long.

            Shaking his head, Hyukjae decided to take a breather, taking the chance to go out onto the balcony. He can hear people laughing, the excited chatter filling up the grand room like a buzzing sound in his ears. It made him concentrate harder on his own heartbeat, needing some way to keep himself grounded now that his brother was too preoccupied with his new distraction.

            The cold breeze was welcoming against his skin, which he had begun to realize was clamored with sweat. It startled him, a hand lifting up to gently touch his cheek. He hadn’t even realized he had been sweating; though, he was unsure whether it was due to the building stress or something else.

            He hoped it was something else.

            Hyukjae breathed out a sigh, running a hand through his hair as he stared off into the night sky. It certainly felt relaxing being outside than being inside; it felt suffocating being surrounded by so many people.

            It was amazing he hadn’t collapsed sooner.

            “Ah, finally found you.”

            At the familiar voice, Hyukjae felt a thrill go down his spine. Holding back a smile, he slowly turned around to see Changmin. The younger man was still as he remembered - tall and lanky with an air of arrogance surrounding him followed by that cocky smile. For a moment, Hyujae allowed himself to appreciate the view before he finally allowed his lips to curl up. It wasn’t quite a smile, not quite a smirk either, but somewhere in between to show his satisfaction.

            “Changmin,” Hyukjae greeted. “And here I thought I’d have to spend the entire night searching for you.”

            Changmin released a laugh. “We both know you wouldn’t be able to find me, not without your brother’s help, at least. Do you think I would’ve let myself be found by someone like you?”

            “If you did, I’d question your sanity.”

            The younger man grinned, his teeth glinting in the dim lights provided by the building. “Ah, but it’s not my sanity you should be questioning about – its yours.” He took a step forward, and Hyukjae held himself in a straighter, upright position. “Do you really think I’d approach you without any sort of protection?”

            Hyukjae held back the laugh bubbling in his throat. “Come now, Changmin. Even with your protection, you wouldn’t be able to fend me off. The last time you tried, I had still managed to kill her.”

            The glint of anger in Changmin’s eyes pleased Hyukjae. He could already feel the tension rolling off the taller man’s shoulders in waves, despite their distance, and it did nothing more than to fuel the giddiness inside of the older man. Tilting his head to the side, Hyukjae smiled when he saw how Changmin’s fingers curled up tightly against the palm of his hands, forming tight fists with the whitening of his knuckles barely shown.

            Just by mentioning _her_ , Hyukjae was already having Changmin eating the palm of his hand.

            “Do you think you’re that arrogant to believe you’d be able to pull off another stunt like that one?” Changmin demanded. “Don’t be so naïve, Hyukjae. I won’t let anything like that happen again.”

            Hyukjae grinned, filled with nothing but malicious intent. “Then this will be fun.”

\---

            Sungmin held back a curse as he rushed down the streets of Seoul.

            Every inch of his being screamed at him for being an idiot, for even _thinking_ that Hyukjae would obey him for once. It took much persuasion to have Yunho head back to the precinct without him under the pretense that he needed to retrieve things from his home. While it was a stretch of truth, Sungmin wanted to believe that his partner believed in him.

            It was already difficult enough to prevent the other man from realizing he was hiding and potentially aiding a dangerous criminal.

            Right now, he didn’t need that kind of torture.

            Stopping at an intersection, Sungmin felt his lungs constricted of the freezing weather as he gasped for air. It hadn’t his best plan to run all the way from the precinct to the building he knew Siwon was hosting his party; the distance between them was great and it would’ve been wiser for him to take a car, but he knew finding a car would take too long.

            He had to get to Hyukjae quickly.

            The other man had proven himself to be a wild card on more than one occasion, and if Hyukjae managed to accomplish what he set out to do, Sungmin knew he would have to work extra hard – perhaps take a few night shits – in order to do some damage control. He was already working enough nights trying to hide all evidence that would potentially lead back to Hyukjae; the risk of getting caught was almost enough to deter him, but then he would recall the promise he made with Donghae.

            _“Protect him.”_

Sometimes, Sungmin wished he could really hate Donghae.

            Shaking his head, he quickly straightened himself up and resumed racing down the street, ignoring the startled looks he received from the other pedestrians. His eyes scanned the area quickly, taking in every alley and other closed spaces that could be possibly used. The way each of them can be quickly used to hide something made him clench his jaw, feeling the desperation beginning to fill him.

            He had yet to fail Donghae when it came to containing Hyukjae.

            He couldn’t fail him now.

            Sungmin almost tripped over the curb when he heard his cell phone ring, cursing every deity in the world for his case of bad luck. He pressed the Bluetooth on his ear, quickly answering the call.

            “Hello?”

            _“Sungmin, where the hell are you?”_

He held back the curse that was threatening to escape from him.

            Of course it was Donghae.

            “I’m on my way. Is Hyukjae there?”

            _“What do you think?”_ He held back a wince at hearing the panicked tone coming from Donghae. If Donghae was allowing himself to have some of his control slip, it truly meant that whatever Hyukjae was planning to do, it really wasn’t good. _“Get here soon. I can’t go out to find him on my own yet.”_

Sungmin frowned, his mind quickly working at trying to figure out _why_.

            From the moment he met the brothers, they have always been inseparable; it wasn’t the typical sibling love Sungmin was used to seeing. They were closer, and seeing their bond had often made him envious of it. However, the longer he spent time with them, the more he began to realize why they were so close, and why Donghae always seemed so ready to jump at his brother’s defense.

            For Donghae not going to collect Hyukjae himself could only mean one thing: he got distracted.

            And distractions cannot be welcomed in Donghae’s world.

            It didn’t take Sungmin very long to decipher the reason why.

            Donghae had gotten distracted by Seohyun’s twin brother.

            Just the thought of it was almost enough to have Sungmin scream out at Donghae, to tell him to stop thinking about himself and to find his brother already. However, Sungmin couldn’t do that to the other man. Donghae had gone through so much already; all he ever did was watch out for Hyukjae to prevent him from getting into trouble. The last thing he wanted was to threaten the last bit of happiness Donghae could manage to grasp for himself.

            It hardly made Sungmin feel any good, though.

            Shaking his head, he decided it was not the best time for him to start dwelling on such matters. Right now, the most important thing was to find Hyukjae before he did something where both he and Donghae had to struggle to fix the damage. The last thing he wanted was to create more of a mess for the two of them, along with the rest of his division.

            With a nod, Sungmin hastened his pace in order to get to the building quickly.

            His lungs burned with the need for air as he continued to sprint down the street and make sharp corners. On more than one occasion, he nearly collided into a civilian by slipping on some stray snow or a patch of ice, giving the person a hasty apology before he resumed his trek. A glance at his watch told him it wouldn’t be long before the moon had risen up to its zenith, making him utter out a curse.

            He just hoped he made it in time.

\---

            _As he opened his eyes, he was surrounded by darkness and silence._

_The silence brought a ringing to his ears, making him want to cower and cover them in a failed attempt to block it out. It was uncomfortable; it made him want to curl up in a corner and hide away from the world. Just being there in a room full of nothingness was terrifying._

_It made him feel alone._

_“Hello, young one.”_

_Startled, he lifted his gaze and found himself staring into a pair of blood-colored eyes. Screaming, he scrambled backwards, only stopping when he felt a wall pressed up against his back. As his hands brushed against the floor, he froze at touching something odd. Chills ran up and down his spine as his fingers shakily curled around the objects, the soft and fluttery texture tickling his skin._

_He swallowed thickly, forcing his vision to focus on what he was holding._

_Feathers._

_“Don’t you think it’s pretty?” the voice purred, and he stiffened when fingers, cold as ice, brushed against his cheek. It made him flinch, cowering even further. “All of these molten feathers, spread around in a morbid painting. Not that you’d be able to see them, of course. After all, you can’t even see what’s behind you.”_

_“What do you want?”_

_A laugh; it was dark, almost enough to turn his own veins into ice. There was something simply inhuman about how the laugh sounded, like it was mocking and condescending. It made goose-bumps rise on his skin, forcing him to wrap his arms around himself in a failed attempt of warming himself up._

_However, red eyes were suddenly in front of him, followed by a manic smile._

_“The one I want.”_

_\---_

            Kyuhyun curled his fingers tightly around the stem of his wine glass.

            He clenched his jaw and forced himself to look around the room. It was starting to become increasingly uncomfortable for him to remain in such a crowded area. If he had been anyone else, he would have either fled from the scene completely or actually forced himself to convene with the masses. Unfortunately, neither choice seemed to be suitable for him.

            All he could do was hope that he would see Donghae before it finally became too much for him.

            With a shake of his head, Kyuhyun stepped to the side as a waiter passed him, choosing to take a sip of his drink. At the bitter taste, he made a face and was quick to discard it by placing it on top of a nearby table. He heaved out a heavy breath, a hand reaching up to clutch at his shirt over his chest. Fingers curled tightly around the fabric, a childish desperation of hope to quell the anguish beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling he was familiar with, often associating it with his sister whenever they were younger.

            Even now, it was often associated with his sister, but now he had come to link it to Donghae.

            A part of him wasn’t sure if he could accept that.

            _“Talking to yourself now, Oppa?”_

Chills ran down his spine, forcing Kyuhyun to spin sharply on his heel in time to see his twin standing a few feet away from him with a wide grin on her face. While the grin itself wasn’t frightening, it was the blood that marred her body that made his heart lurch and stomach turn into knots, suddenly feeling nauseated by the sight. When she tilted her head, her neck barely hanging on by the edges of skin, Kyuhyun swallowed back the bile that had risen in his mouth.

            He opened his mouth to speak, only to snap it shut when he realized how odd he would start to appear for talking to nothing.

            _“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? You never used to be this quiet.”_

Kyuhyun chose to ignore her, ignoring the bait she was trying to put out. His eyes swiveled from her in a hurry to find Donghae. The longer he went without seeing the older man, the heavier his breathing became and the harder his heart began to beat against his ribcage. A feeling akin to panic was threatening to overtake him, and he struggled to take a few deep breaths.

            It did nothing to help.

            Kyuhyun inadvertently took a step back when Seohyun suddenly appeared in front of his face, closer than she was before, and the putrid smell of rotting corpse entered his senses. It made him feel sick, the bile threatening to rise up in his mouth again, and he took a few steps back in a vain attempt to be rid of the smell and the horrific sight. The sight of him had Seohyun laughing loudly, the sound of it quickly grating on Kyuyhun’s nerves and having his stomach plummet.

            His eyes focused on the rivulets of blood trailing down from the numerous cuts and gashes marring his sister’s body. It continued to sicken him, the nausea simply building up until he could no longer take it. Forcing his gaze away from his twin’s ghost, Kyuhyun darted outside to the balconies, ignoring the startled looks sent his way.

            As soon as he reached outside, he gripped onto the railings, hoping the cold air would do its magic and ease away the worries and anxiety building up.

            _“Do you really think you can run away from me?”_ Seohyun demanded, her voice seemingly echoing in his mind. _“Don’t be foolish, oppa. You can never run from me – you can never hide. As long as we’re together, I will always be with you.”_

Kyuhyun gritted his teeth together, his eyes clenched shut as he struggled to ignore Seohyun.

            He thought he wouldn’t have to deal with her ghost in such a public place; clearly, he had been wrong to assume such a thing.

            Seohyun had always been ruthless, nowhere near the perfect daughter their parents liked to believe. It often irritated him, unsure of what it was they exactly saw in his twin, or what anyone else saw in her really.

            She was a devil in disguise.

            She deserved to be killed.

            Kyuhyun jerked, his thoughts coming to an abrupt end like a train screeching to a stop. His buddy shuddered, his fingers tightening around the railings until his knuckles began to turn white. None of it seemed to help him cope with everything; it made him simply hate everything about the situation even more.

            “Leave me alone,” Kyuhyun hissed out. “Leave me the fuck alone, Joohyun. I don’t care what you want, but leave me alone.”

            A tinkling laugh, an eerie sound that did nothing but resemble bells before nails decided to screech on the surface. He clenched his jaw, teeth grinding together as he fought to ignore his twin’s ghost. Just seeing her was enough to send every positive feeling he initially had plummeting down the drain.

            _“You can’t escape from me, oppa. You can never escape from our fate.”_

Kyuhyun jerked out of his thoughts when he heard someone call out to him. He almost breathed out a sigh of relief when he felt Seohyun’s presence disappear, turning around to see whom it was. Upon recognizing the familiar face, he stiffened, wondering if there was existing deity that seemed to enjoy tormenting him each and every turn of his life. Otherwise, he would love to believe someone just gave out the worst joke in history.

            He gripped the railings harder. “Changmin.”

            The taller man smiled, amicably polite. “It’s been a long time, Kyuhyun,” Changmin greeted, taking a step closer but faltered when Kyuhyun practically pressed himself against the rails. “Oh, come now, don’t act like that to an old friend.”

            Kyuhyun twitched a bit. “We’re hardly old friends, Changmin. What the hell do you even want?”

            “How rude, and to think I was hoping we can go back to how we used to be back in the old days.”

            Raising an eyebrow, Kyuhyun stared at him for a moment. Apparently, deciding he didn’t like what he was seeing, he shook his head. “No, because those days are gone. We never had any good old days, anyway.”

            “Of course you would think that.”

            “Tell me…were you involved in Seohyun’s death?” Kyuhyun demanded, seeing Changmin stiffen if somewhat involuntarily. At the subtle shift in the taller man’s expression, there was somehow a deep sense of satisfaction boiling inside of the older man. He refused to let himself lower his guard, however, considering if his suspicions would actually lead him to the right man.

            Changmin shifted a bit, his expression guarded. “Of course I wasn’t. You know how much I adored her. Why would I want to kill her?”

            Tilting his head to the side, the older man was quiet for a moment, his eyes zeroing in on a figure hovering over Changmin’s shoulder. He swallowed thickly upon seeing a pair of blood-colored staring back at him, almost amused. With a quick aversion of his gaze, Kyuhyun almost wished he hadn’t opened his damn mouth when he saw the anger in Changmin’s eyes – almost. There was a need for answers and explanations, followed by a strong urge to punch the taller man in the face.

            He had a feeling it would be a pleasant experience.

            “You want to know why I suspect you?” Kyuhyun questioned, eyes slowly blinking once. “It’s because I know exactly who you are. Do you really think that I’d be so ignorant and blind to you and how Seohyun used to be? Do you really think I wouldn’t know what went on between the two of you?”

            Changmin scowled at him.

            It made Kyuhyun feel morbidly delighted.

            “And what about you, Kyuhyun? You, who have left us without even looking back? You and Seohyun have always been at each other’s throats for as long as I could remember, so why do you even care about what happens to her now? Back then, all you two ever do was insult each other and try to kill each other.”

            At his words, the older man pursed his lips, trying his best not to let it affect him. He knew Changmin was lashing out at him, rightfully so, but he knew he needed to keep the man at a distance. While they were once friends, that relationship between them was over, and there was no chance of fixing it. Anything ever related to Seohyun was just another remnant of the past he wanted to forget.

            So, he allowed himself to smile. “Ah, but I’ve made sure not to actually do anything against her. Unlike you, of course.”

            “Why, you—”

            “Sorry to interrupt,” another voice cut in, interrupting Changmin, and causing both men to look over. Kyuhyun almost sagged in relief upon seeing Donghae, though the relief was short-lived when he saw the dark look in the man’s eyes. “But I think it’s time for you to go, Changmin-ssi.”

            Changmin seemed to straighten himself, and Kyuhyun almost surprised to see a flicker of fear in his eyes.

            “Donghae-ssi, I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

            Donghae allowed a smile to form on his lips, his demeanor perfectly cordial as he addressed the tallest of the three men. “Neither was I, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised you’d be hanging around here. Hyukjae would only come here once he realized you’d be attending, as well. Now, tell me, where can I find my brother?”

            “What makes you think I know where he is?”

            “Because he wouldn’t have let you go if you didn’t prove your worth.”

            Confusion quickly settled in as Kyuhyun looked between his former friend and possibly-boyfriend. Despite not being in the loop, it didn’t exactly take him long to figure out there was some bad blood between the two men, possibly having to do with their connections with Hyukjae. What made it startling for Kyuhyun, however, was the way Changmin seemed _frightened_ of Donghae.

            For as long as he could remember, his past friend had never been afraid of anyone, particularly those who were shorter than him. Now, he realized there were still plenty of things he never knew about Changmin, and a plethora of tidbits he had to know about Donghae. Judging from the staring contest the two were now immersed in, it made him wonder just exactly what had happened between them, and what Hyukjae’s role was in their relationship.

            His eyes were soon caught by the way Changmin’s hands had clenched into fists at his sides, a slight tremor running throughout his body.

            Changmin wasn’t just frightened – he was _terrified_.

            Kyuhyun snapped back to attention when Donghae took a step forward, forcing Changmin to take a step back in a vain attempt of staying at a good distance away from the oldest. The smile that was on Donghae’s face had faded, his lips twisted into a frown while Changmin still had that terrified expression plastered on his face.

            Somehow, just seeing it brought a thrill and a chill down Kyuhyun’s spine.

            Was Donghae dangerous, after all?

            “I’ll ask you again, Changmin-ssi,” Donghae spoke up, his tone deeper and different than from the gentle tone Kyuhyun was used to when the oldest spoke to him during their time together. “Where is my brother? Do not be so naive in thinking that I will be dissuaded from finding him, especially since I know he disappeared with you earlier.”

            Changmin swallowed thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion.

            Apparently, it had been the wrong move to make as Donghae’s expression suddenly shifted, his jaw clenched tightly together.

            “You—”

            A scream suddenly pierced through the air, forcing all three of them to freeze in their spots.

            Kyuhyun immediately looked in the direction of the scream, his skin quickly becoming covered by goose bumps when he saw Seohyun standing by the doors, a smile on her face.

            _“You’ve lost this round, oppa,”_ she whispered, a finger over her lips. _“And you’ll continue to lose more at this rate. You better be prepared.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truth be told, I'm not entirely satisfied with this chapter, which also means this is slightly un-edited.
> 
> I promise to make edits to this soon, though!
> 
> Other than that, I hope you guys are enjoying this so far, and I will forever apologize for the late updates since I have trouble keeping to a time-table nowadays.


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